Description: I have given this chalk talk now three times while on the wards of HMC and VA Puget Sound when we have admitted a patient with acute alcohol withdrawal. It is a simplified description of the underlying physiology that applies with withdrawal in chronic alcohol users. Additionally time is spent discussion the difference between delirium tremens and other withdrawal symptoms, particularly in the context of symptom timelines. I finish discussing medications used for treatment and how that relates back to the underlying pathophysiology.
Evaluations: No formal were completed.
Reflections: The level of physiology is appropriate for medical students, while the interns appreciate practical management of alcohol withdrawal and I feel would benefit from more details regarding the specifics of treatment. Additionally the pharmacokinetics of phenobarbital are more complicated than outlined on the board, and has often prompted further discussion.
