Diagnosis of Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol Withdrawal Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Tests for Alcohol Withdrawal: Online Medical Books
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Alcohol-related disorder:
Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
For characteristic findings in patients with alcoholism, see Diagnosing substance dependence and related disorders, page 430.
Clinical findings may help support the diagnosis of alcohol-related disorder. For example, laboratory tests can confirm alcohol use and complications and document recent alcohol ingestion. A blood alcohol level ranging from 0.08% to 0.10% weight/volume (200 mg/dl) is accepted as the level of intoxication, depending on the state or country. The blood alcohol level in a physically dependent and tolerant drinker may exceed levels that would cause severe dysfunction or death in a nontolerant drinker. For example, a tolerant drinker might have a blood alcohol level of more than 0.5 mg (the usual lethal level) and still be alive, talking, and moving.
In severe hepatic disease, the blood urea nitrogen level is increased, and the serum glucose level is decreased. Further testing may reveal increased serum ammonia and amylase levels. Urine toxicology studies may help determine if the patient with alcohol withdrawal delirium or another acute complication abuses other drugs as well.
Liver function studies revealing increased levels of serum cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and creatine phosphokinase may point to liver damage, and elevated serum amylase and lipase levels point to acute pancreatitis. A hematologic workup can identify anemia, thrombocytopenia, increased prothrombin time, and increased partial thromboplastin time.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Alcoholism:
Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)
For characteristic findings in patients with alcoholism, see Diagnosing substance dependence and related disorders, page 286.
Laboratory values may help support the diagnosis of alcoholism — for example, they can confirm alcohol use and complications and indicate recent alcohol ingestion:
Blood alcohol level of 0.10% weight/volume (200 mg/dl) is accepted as the level of intoxication.
Blood urea nitrogen level rises in severe hepatic disease.
Blood glucose level is decreased.
Serum ammonia and amylase levels are increased.
Urine toxicology studies may help detect other types of drug abuse in patients with alcohol withdrawal delirium or another acute complication.
Liver function studies reveal increased levels of serum cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and creatine kinase (which indicate liver damage) and elevated serum amylase and lipase levels (which indicate acute pancreatitis).
Blood studies may identify anemia, thrombocytopenia, increased prothrombin time, and increased partial thromboplastin time.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
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