Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Substance-Related Crises
Number of Conditions: 2
Delirium Tremens
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Sub-category: Substance-Related Crises
Symptoms:
severe agitation; confusion; hallucinations; fever; sweating; tachycardia; hypertension; seizures
Root Cause:
Acute severe alcohol withdrawal resulting in central nervous system hyperactivity, involving dysregulated neurotransmitter activity (reduced GABA and excessive glutamate).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation based on history of alcohol use, presenting symptoms, and ruling out other causes of delirium through lab tests and imaging if necessary.
Treatment:
High-dose benzodiazepines, IV fluids, thiamine, magnesium, and antipsychotics for severe agitation or psychosis. ICU-level monitoring may be required for severe cases.
Medications:
Benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam , diazepam , chlordiazepoxide ) are used for sedation and symptom control. Antipsychotics (e.g., haloperidol ) may help with hallucinations or severe agitation. Thiamine to prevent or treat Wernicke's encephalopathy.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in 5% of patients undergoing alcohol withdrawal; more common in individuals with chronic, severe alcohol dependence.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Long-term heavy alcohol use, history of delirium tremens, concurrent medical illness, and poor nutritional status.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Life-threatening if untreated; with aggressive treatment, the prognosis improves significantly, but mortality still ranges from 1-4%.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Arrhythmias, respiratory failure, aspiration pneumonia, cardiovascular collapse, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Drug-Induced Psychosis
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Sub-category: Substance-Related Crises
Symptoms:
paranoia; hallucinations (auditory or visual); delusions; disorganized thinking; agitation; confusion
Root Cause:
Acute or chronic use of psychoactive substances disrupts neurotransmitter systems (e.g., dopamine, serotonin) in the brain, leading to psychosis.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation of symptoms, history of substance use, and toxicology screening to identify causative substances.
Treatment:
Immediate cessation of the causative drug, supportive care, and symptomatic treatment with antipsychotics or sedatives as needed.
Medications:
Antipsychotics (e.g., haloperidol , olanzapine ) are used to manage psychotic symptoms. Benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam ) for agitation or severe distress.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common among individuals using stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine, cocaine), hallucinogens, or cannabis; prevalence varies by substance and population.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Use of high doses of psychoactive substances, preexisting mental health conditions, genetic predisposition, and poly-drug use.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Usually resolves with cessation of the causative substance, but prolonged psychosis may occur in some cases, especially with chronic use.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Self-harm, aggression, chronic psychotic disorders, and substance dependency.