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A retrospective comparison of delirium tremens cases before and after the availability of chlormethiazole
Author(s) -
Schied H. W.,
Kimmerie K.,
Braunschweiger M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1986.tb10554.x
Subject(s) - delirium tremens , retrospective cohort study , medicine , incidence (geometry) , delirium , anesthesia , psychology , intensive care medicine , surgery , mathematics , geometry
To assess the contribution of chlormethiazole to the treatment of delirium tremens (DT), a retrospective analysis was carried out on cases of DT admitted to the Department of Psychiatry, University of Tübingen, West Germany before and after the introduction of chlormethiazole. Following the introduction of chlormethiazole, there was a significant reduction in DT mortality and in duration of DTs. The age and sex distribution of cases of DT were compared and were found to be similar before and after the introduction of chlormethiazole. The incidence of complications in the two periods were analysed. The dose of chlormethiazole on the first 4 days of DT and the doses of additional psychoactive drugs were also noted.