Combination of dexmedetomidine and diazepam in treatment of a patient with severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome complicated with fever

Abstract

Long-term alcoholic individuals may develop alcohol withdrawal syndrome （AWS） after abrupt cessation or reduction of alcohol intake. Mild symptoms include involuntary limb trembling， sweating， nausea and vomiting， anxiety and disorder of sleep rhythm， and severe signs consist of hallucination， delirium and even coma. AWS is likely to progress into severe AWS when unrecognized or untreated， which is a potential cause of death. Benzodiazepines are the optimal drugs for the treatment of AWS. Nevertheless， large-dose benzodiazepines alone fail to completely control the symptoms of acute-stage AWS， and it should be combined with other drugs when necessary. In this article， we reported one 41-year-old male case of acute AWS complicated with fever who progressed into severe AWS. The disease condition was finally controlled by combined use of dexmedetomidine and diazepam， a widely prescribed benzodiazepine. The diagnosis and treatment of this case prompt that dexmedetomidine can decrease the dosage of diazepam， ease respiratory depression and mitigate the disorder of sleep rhythm.

Keywords

• |acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome|dexmedetomidine|diazepam|fever