Age-Related Differences in the Course of Alcohol Withdrawal in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the course of alcohol withdrawal (AW) syndromes in different age groups of hospitalized patients. Medical records of 892 patients treated for AW in Nowowiejski Hospital in Warsaw, Poland from 1973 to 1987 were reviewed using a structured questionnaire; a further 321 patients were observed on a prospective basis in the years 1990-1999. We compared severity of the symptoms and the course of AW episodes in five age groups: <30, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and > or =60 years old. Although the age groups did not differ in respect of gender, there were significant differences in other demographic variables, such as marital status, education, employment and number of households. We found a greater prevalence of somatic diseases and hypokalaemia in the older age groups. Older patients were hospitalized longer than the younger patients. The amount of alcohol consumed was significantly smaller in the older patients. No significant differences were found between age groups in the duration and severity of AW symptoms. All age groups required comparable doses of medication. The relationship between the duration of AW and the amount of alcohol consumed during the last drinking bout was significant in patients aged >50 years. There was also a significant positive correlation between the occurrence of withdrawal seizures or the severity of AW symptoms and the number of previous AW episodes in patients aged > or =40 years. Although the results did not confirm some previously reported differences in the course of AW between older and younger patients, they point to some new important differences in the conditions and course of AW in the elderly.

Prevalence and correlates of epileptic seizure in substance‐abusing subjects

“…The prevalence and characteristics of ES in the alcohol cohort (withdrawal-related, generalized tonic-clonic and in patients significantly older with longer durations of dependence) are similar to earlier reports. 1,11,12 This age and dependence and duration-related vulnerability may come about as a result of greater physical comorbidity in older patients 13 or development of pro-epileptic kindling mechanisms. 14 The prevalence of ES in the opioid cohort was higher than expected.…”

Changing Profile of Abused Substances by Older Persons Entering Treatment

“…Thus, many admissions for drug and/or alcohol treatment that are older may be physically dependent. As increasing medical morbidity and older age have been associated with more severe and complicated alcohol withdrawal (Brower et al, 1994; Schuckit et al, 1995; Wojnar et al, 2001), re-evaluation of detoxification protocols and other treatment guidelines to ensure safe and effective treatment practices and outcomes for these older patients is recommended.…”

Locations of facilities with special programs for older substance abuse clients in the US

“…Older clients most often have a problem with alcohol as opposed to other substances of abuse (Fingerhood, 2000). Older alcohol users also experience greater medical complications during alcohol withdrawal such as delirium tremens and hypokalemia and require a greater length of hospital stay (Ingster and Cartwright, 1995;Wojnar et al, 2001). Thus, older clients need more medical care due to conditions associated with age and due to the potential complications from withdrawal.…”