Alcohol use disorder is extremely prevalent in the United States, affecting over 5% of the population 12 and older. We see patients suffering from this disease in our EDs – sometimes for complications of acute intoxication (like car accidents) and sometimes for withdrawal symptoms. In this two part series, we’re joined by Addiction Medicine Specialists, Dr. Aimee Moulin and Dr. Liz Johnson, to learn more about acute alcohol withdrawal and management of alcohol use disorder. In part 1, we discuss the presentation and emergent stabilization of patients with severe alcohol withdrawal. 

Special thanks for Phoebe for sharing her story of her personal battle with alcohol use disorder! 

What is your go to med for acute alcohol withdrawal? Does your hospital have set protocols? We always appreciate hearing how things are done at different institutions. Tag us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or reach out via email empulsepodcast@gmail.com, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to listen and share their stories, too!

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Hosts:

Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Guests:

Dr. Aimee Moulin, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Chief of the Division of Addiction Medicine at UC Davis

Dr. Liz Johnson, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Addiction Medicine Physician at UC Davis

Resources:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrarion (SAMHSA)

Alcohol Facts and Statistics – National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and National Institute of Health (NIH)

Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment Alcohol Scale Revised (CIWA-AR)

Prediction of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale (PAWSS) 

Phoebe – The Dress Fiend

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Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Productions for audio production services.