title: Symptom profile and outcome of delirium associated with alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a study from India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the profile of delirium associated with alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in a developing country in terms of symptomatology, associated risk factors/physical complications, and outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a prospective design, 112 patients in whom delirium could be attributed to AWS as either the sole or a contributory cause were assessed by Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 and the associated etiological factors were assessed by using delirium etiology checklist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all patients, delirium was acute in onset and all patients had disturbance of sleep-wake cycle and inattention. Other common symptoms were: disorientation (99.1%), fluctuation in symptoms (97.3%), motor agitation (94.6%), and short-term memory disturbance (92.9%). In terms of delirium etiology checklist etiological categories, besides alcohol withdrawal, the most common factors were metabolic/endocrine abnormalities (76%), followed by organ insufficiency and infection (37% and 35%, respectively). Most patients (67%) improved or recovered completely from delirium during the short stay of 4 days. During the short stay of mean duration of 4 days 13.4% of the patients died during the hospital stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delirium associated with alcohol withdrawal is characterized by an acute onset of symptoms with high prevalence of disturbance of sleep-wake cycle, inattention, disorientation, fluctuation in symptoms, motor agitation, and disturbance in short-term memory. There are certain differences in the symptom profile of delirium associated with alcohol withdrawal and that associated with medical-surgical causes. About one-sixth of the patients developing delirium due to alcohol withdrawal die during the short hospital stay of 4 days.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India. drsandeepg2002@yahoo.com
authors: Sandeep
authors: S
authors: Grover
authors: Akhilesh
authors: A
authors: Sharma
authors: Natasha
authors: N
authors: Kate
authors: Surendra K
authors: SK
authors: Mattoo
authors: Debasish
authors: D
authors: Basu
authors: Subho
authors: S
authors: Chakrabarti
authors: Savita
authors: S
authors: Malhotra
authors: Ajit
authors: A
authors: Avasthi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D003702:Delusions / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult