title: Suppression of alcohol delirium tremens by baclofen administration: a case report.
abstract: Delirium tremens (DT) is a clinical condition that appears in some patients affected by severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). DT represents a serious complication, being characterized by elevated morbidity and mortality. Benzodiazepines are presently the drug of choice; however their use is related to several side effects. Baclofen is a stereoselective gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAB) receptor agonist. Recent studies show that baclofen is able to suppress alcohol withdrawal symptoms. At present there are no data on the effects of baclofen administration in AWS complicated by DT. Here, we report a case of DT successfully treated with baclofen. This result indicates that the efficacy of baclofen in the treatment of DT should be examined in future clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Gemelli Hospital, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168-Rome, Italy. g.addolorato@tin.it
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Addolorato
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leggio
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abenavoli
authors.forename: Giosue
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: DeLorenzi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Janiri
authors.forename: Esmeralda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capristo
authors.forename: Gian Ludovico
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rapaccini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001418:Baclofen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D001418:Baclofen