Emergencies in AUD: acute alcohol intoxication and alcohol withdrawal syndrome

1Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

2“Gli Angeli di Padre Pio”, Padre Pio Rehabilitation Centres Foundation, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

3Internal Medicine Residency School, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.

 

Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to several consequences involving health, social, working, relational and economic fields.

Acute alcohol Intoxication is the direct consequence of high alcohol consumption, particularly if consumed in a short time-frame. Traumas (e.g., road accidents, pedestrian injuries, head injuries, falls, crashes), violence (e.g., domestic) and suicide attempts represent the direct consequences. The number of admissions to emergency departments for acute alcohol intoxication is constantly rising.

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome is a potentially life-threatening clinical syndrome occurring when individuals with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) abruptly cease or significantly reduce alcohol consumption.

Despite individual’s decision to stop drinking, AWS can develop as a consequence of medical treatments that accelerate ethanol’s metabolism and elimination from plasma.

Both acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) and alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) represent two pivotal and interconnected issues resulting from alcohol abuse.

The present review will highlight the primary manifestations of alcohol-related harm, focusing on the acute consequences of alcohol consumption, namely acute alcohol intoxication, and the subsequent challenges presented by alcohol withdrawal syndrome. These two facets underscore the complex and multifaceted nature of alcohol misuse.

Corresponding author:

Publication history:

Submission date: 17th Oct, 2023
Revised on: 13th Nov, 2023
Accepted on: 4th Dec, 2023
Published online: 2nd May, 2024

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