delirium tremens…

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dt's, alcohol withdrawal, delirium tremens, delirium tremens, disorder involving sudden, severe mental changes, psychosis, neurologic changes, seizures, abruptly stopping the use of alcohol, rapid pulse rate, elevated blood pressure, temperature elevation also present, delirium tremens, occur after a period of heavy alcohol drinking, does not eat enough food, triggered by head injury, infection, illness, a history of heavy use of alcohol, most common, a history of experiencing alcohol withdrawal, alcohol is stopped, in those who drink the equivalent of 7, 8 pints of beer, 1 pint of "hard" alcohol, per day, several months, in those, a history of habitual alcohol use, alcoholism that has existed, more than 10 years, symptoms occur, the toxic effects of alcohol on the brain, nervous system, severe, progress rapidly, symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, feeling jumpy, nervous, feeling shaky, anxiety, irritability, excited, emotional volatility, rapid emotional changes, depression, fatigue, difficulty thinking clearly, palpitations, sensation of feeling the heart beat, headache, general, pulsating, sweating, the palms, the hands, face, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, insomnia, difficulty falling, staying asleep, pale skin, mental status changes, mood changes rapidly, restlessness, excitement, increased activity, decreased attention span, excitement, fear, confusion, disorientation, agitation, irritability, hallucinations, visual hallucinations seeing things, not present, most common, sensory hyperacuity, highly sensitive to light, sound, touch, delirium, severe, acute loss of mental functions, decreased mental status, stupor, sleepiness, lethargy, deep sleep that persists, longer, occurs after acute symptoms, seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, most common in first 24, 48 hours, most common, previous alcohol withdrawal complications, body tremors, additional symptoms that occur, fever, stomach pain, chest pain, symptoms most commonly occur, 72 hours, last drink, occur up to 7, 10 days, last drink, progress rapidly, delirium tremens, medical emergency, consulted promptly, an examination, the neuromuscular system, an increased startle reflex, rapid rhythmic muscle tremor, changes indicating alcohol withdrawal, evidence of increased autonomic function, profuse sweating, symptoms of dehydration, malnutrition, signs indicating electrolyte disturbances, an eye inspection, abnormalities of eye muscle movement, lid lag, heart rate rapid, an irregular heart beat, blood pressure normal, elevated, a serum toxicology screen, positive, alcohol, serum chemistry, chem-20, electrolyte disturbances, decreased levels of potassium, magnesium, an ecg, electrocardiogram, arrhythmias, an eeg, electroencephalogram, performed to rule out other causes, seizures, an emergency condition, goals of treatment, saving the patient's life, treating the immediate symptoms, preventing complications, long-term preventive treatment, after initial treatment, the acute condition, hospitalization, vital signs, temperature, pulse, rate of breathing, blood pressure, fluid, electrolyte status, monitored, abnormalities, seizures, cardiovascular conditions, heart arrhythmias, lifesaving, life-support measures, anticonvulsant medications phenytoin, medications, clonidine, reduce cardiovascular symptoms, helps reduce anxiety, central nervous system depressants, sedatives required, in large doses, to reduce symptoms, require maintenance of a sedated state, week, withdrawal is complete, benzodiazepine medications diazepam, useful, sedation, diazepam is also useful to treat seizures, anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, treated similarly to any acute psychotic episode, hospitalization, cautious use of antipsychotic medications, haloperidol, necessary a "drying out" period appropriate, no alcohol is allowed, alcohol use, alcoholism, psychologic interventions, social supports aa, alcoholics anonymous, behavior modification, interventions, testing, medical problems associated, use of alcohol, disorders alcoholic liver disease, blood clotting disorders, alcoholic neuropathy, heart disorders, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, chronic brain syndromes, wernicke-korsakoff syndrome, additional resources, alcoholism support group, delirium tremens is serious, life-threatening, symptoms sleeplessness, feeling tired, emotional instability, persist, year, seizures, heart arrhythmias, life-threatening, injury from falls, seizures, injury to self, mental state, confusion/delirium, symptoms develop, delirium tremens, emergency condition, minimize the use of alcohol, treat known alcoholism appropriately, obtain prompt medical treatment, symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, look into alcohol detoxification, "detox" centers in area, alcohol rehabilitation centers, "rehab" facilities.