title: A comparison of two versions of the clinical institute withdrawal assessment for alcohol: the CIWA-Ar and CIWA-AD.
abstract: Scores from two versions of the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, the CIWA-Ar and CIWA-AD, were compared in 135 alcohol detoxification episodes. The paired mean score for withdrawal severity was statistically higher with the CIWA-AD (p < 0.001), but the mean difference of 0.45 (95% CI: 0.38-0.53, t = 11.74) is not likely to be clinically significant. The difference in the total score between the two scales was 1 point or less 82.6% of the time, and nearly all (97.7%) of the CIWA-AD scores were within 3 points of the paired CIWA-Ar score (range - 6 to + 6).
authors.affiliation: VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington 98108, USA. joe.reoux@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Reoux
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Oreskovich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010343:Patient Admission; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D014861:Washington
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol