Sarah Zerbst

Bio 210 Anatomy and Physiology 2

12/4/2019

How does Alcohol Withdrawal Affect the

How does it happen?
• Drinking the alcohol equivalent of a six pack of
Statistics:
body? Respiratory Alkalosis:
• Alcohol produced a depressant effect on the respiratory
Prevention
• Between 5 and 10% of the U.S. population at depended on alcohol • Tell friends/family about the intention to stop/reduce alcohol
beer daily for a period of 6 months • About 30% of patient on a general hospital unit are likely alcohol depended, center
• Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant intake
however only 2% have an admitting primary or secondary diagnosis of alcohol • Depressing respiration causing an increased CO2 Level
• Don’t keep alcohol in your home
• Leading to a sleep like state Love Magnesium Levels:
dependence or alcoholism • Can lower the chances of alcohol abuse due to emotional
• The brain attempts to correct this with a • Of all alcohol-depended individuals 50% will develop Alcohol Withdraw • Chronic alcohol dependence have low magnesium intake
distress and/or boredom
“wake up” mechanism via the reticular Syndrome because of poor nutrition • Know your limits
activating system • About 85% will develop mild to moderate symptoms, 15% will have sever • Loss of magnesium from GI tract caused by alcohol related
• Lowe-risk alcohol consumptions
• Chronic abuse causes adaptive changes within diarrhea and the loss of magnesium in the urine caused by
symptoms • For men equals four or fewer drinks in one day AND
the brain • Seizure occur in 10% of patients with AWS alcohol-related diuresis
• Increased inhibition of the neurotransmitter fewer than 14 drinks/week
• Between 5-8% develop DTs which has a mortality rate of between 1-5% CNS Excitation • For Women equal to three or fewer drinks per day and
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor • If Delirium tremens (DTs) are left untreated the mortality rate is about 20% • Alters cell membrane proteins that allow electrolytes to
no more than 7 drinks/week
activity and decreased excitatory receptor enter and exit the cell • Make friends who don’t drink
activity • Cessation of alcohol
• It is easy to drink recklessly if you have friend who
• After stopping drinking the brain enter a • Increased neurological excitement
drink with you
hyperexcitable states that is responsible for most The Brain: • Find a support group
Alcohol Withdraw Symptoms • Neurotoxicity- Neurons over react to neuro transmitters for long • Creates opportunities for friendships, a support system
periods of time, causing the neurons to “burn out” Risk Factors Risk Factors for DTs and accountability
• Noticeably slower reactions • More common in males • Comorbid acute illness (ie. • Enroll in treatment
• Brain matter • Olde rage Hospitalization)
• “brain shrinkage” the reduced volume of both gray matter (cell • Family history of alcoholism • History of DTs and/or withdrawal
bodies) and white matter (cell pathways) • History of AWS seizures Patient/Family Education:
• Long term Symptoms: • High Alcohol tolerance • Heavy daily alcohol use • Teach teenagers how to say “no” to alcohol
• Problems with verbal fluency and verbal learning • Prolonged and/or heave alcohol use • Older age • Discuss important negative outcomes of drinking
• Decrease processing speed • Serious medical problems and • Abnormal liver function tests • Monitor alcohol use in the hope and keep tack of stock
• Decreased working memory combined benzodiazepine depends • More sever withdrawal symptoms • Do not permit unchaperoned patires
• Decreased attention and problems solving skills • Be aware of any attempt to obtain alcohol surreptitiously
• Decreased spatial processing and impulsivity • Discuss the importance of
• Long-term effects on the brain include: • Good nutrition
• Wernicke's encephalopathy • Benefits of joining a 12-step support group (Alcoholics
• Mental confusing Anonymous)
• Paralysis of the nerves that move the eyes • Cognitive behavioral therapy with a health provider
• Difficulty with muscle coordination
• 80-90% of alcoholics with Wernicke's encephalopathy also
develop Korsakoff’s psychosis
• Long lasting and debilitating Korsakoff’s psychosis
• Persistent learning disability and memory problems Treatment:
• Extreme difficulty with coordination • Prove safe environment
• Problems remember old information and creating new memories • Prepare the patient for continued treatment
• Alcohol-related dementia, which represents about 10% of all • Monitor closely for:
dementia cases • Fluid/electrolyte impairments
• Nutritional deficits
• Supportive Care:
Stage of Alcohol Withdrawal • Vitamin supplements
State 1 Symptoms: Stage 2 Symptoms: • Glucose
Stage 3 Symptoms: • IV fluids
• Occur between 5-8 hours after cessation •of Begin 24-72 hours after cessation • Begins between 72 and 96 hours
alcohol consumptions • Marked restlessness and agitation • Pharmacotherapy as need to elevated symptoms,
after cessation reestablish autonomic homeostats
• Mild anxiety • Moderate tremor with constant eye movement • Fever
• Restlessness • Diaphoresis • Benzodiazepines 1st line therapy
• SEVERE hypertension and • Beta-Blockers
• Agitation • Nightmares Tachycardia
• Insomnia • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea • Anticonvulsants
• Delirium
• Tremors • Anorexia • Drenching sweats
• Mild Gi upset/nausea • MARKED tachycardia and hypertension • MARKED Tremors
• Anorexia • Alcoholic hallucinosis • PERSISTENT hallucinations
• Sleep disturbance • Auditory
• Sweating mild tremors • Visual ALCOHOL ASSOCIATED SEIZURES
• Fluctuating tachycardia and • Tactile • Usually brief generalize tonic-clonic seizures
Hypertension • Mild confusion, can be reoriented • Typically begin between 6-48 hours after the last drink

References:
Addiction Resource. (2019). Alcoholism prevention: effective strategies to avoid alcohol abuse. Retrieved form: https://addictionresource.com/alcohol/resources/alcoholism-prevention/
Butler Center for research. (2015). Alcohol's effects on the brain and cognitive improvement in recovery. Retrieved from:
https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/education/bcr/addiction-research/alcohol-effects-brain-ru-515
National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism. (2004). Alcohol alert. Retrieved from: https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm
Kornusky, J. R. M., & Karakashian, A. R. B. (2018). Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome. CINAHL Nursing Guide. Retrieved from:
http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.bryantstratton.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid,url&db=nup&AN=T701921&site=eds-live
Sommers, M., & Fannin, E. (2015). In Diseases & Disorders: A Nursing Therapeutics Manual, 5th ed (pp. 55–60). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: F.A. Davis Company. Retrieved from:
http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.bryantstratton.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid,url&db=nup&AN=2013166817&site=eds-live