Implementation of treatment for alcohol withdrawal symptoms without benzodiazepines was associated with decreased use of the drug and favorable outcomes, according to a quality improvement study published in JAMA Network Open.
“While BZDs are associated with effective reductions in [alcohol withdrawal syndrome] AWS symptoms, they are also associated with adverse effects, including excessive sedation, falls, respiratory depression, aspiration, delirium, and even mortality,” Joshua T. Smith, PharmD, of the division of research at Kaiser Permanente, and colleagues wrote. “Alternate