Pathophysiology
What are the 2 main neurotransmitters involved in alcohol withdrawal?
GABA & Glutamate
If a patient can tolerate oral medications and has good liver function, what is the preferred benzodiazepine for them to receive?
Diazepam
What are the names of the 2 withdrawal assessment tools that should be completed ASAP to help determine appropriate medication management?
CIWA & PAWSS
True or False: If a patient is admitted to the ICU for alcohol withdrawal, a precedex drip can be initiated as first line treatment due to its high affinity for GABA preceptors.
False
True or False: Phenobarbital always requires a loading dose to be given to ensure the desired therapeutic range is reached quickly.
True
What PAWSS score indicates that a patient should have a benzodiazepine taper activated?
4 or greater
Wernicke's encephalopathy is a neurologic complication caused by a deficiency in what vitamin?
Thiamine
Name 1 side effect associated with Precedex drips.
Hint: These potential side effects are what make it restricted to ICU use only.
- Respiratory Depression
- Low BP
- Low HR
True or False: The same Precedex order set can be used for both intubated patients and alcohol withdrawal patients that are not intubated.
False, there are 2 distinct order sets.