| REVIEW ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 5
| Issue : 3 | Page : 89-94 |
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Delirium tremens in the elderly: Emerging role of dexmedetomidine
Vishal Sehgal1, Sukhminder Jit Singh Bajwa2, John A Consalvo3, Anurag Bajaj4, Rinku Sehgal4
1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Carolina, Greenville, South Carolina, USA
2 Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Gian Sagar Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India
3 Department of Emergency Medicine, Regional Hospital of Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA
4 WCGME, Scranton, PA, USA
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Sukhminder Jit Singh Bajwa
House No - 27-A, Ratan Nagar, Tripuri, Patiala - 147 001, Punjab
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2231-0738.158319
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The elderly are more predisposed to depression, which puts them at high risk for alcohol abuse and alcohol-related disorders such as delirium tremens (DTs). But its clinical presentation is often complicated by underlying comorbid conditions, such as congestive heart failure (CHF), atrial fibrillation (AF), sepsis, chronic kidney disease (CKD), electrolyte imbalance, dementia, malglycemia, nutritional deficiencies, and polypharmacy. The current review is aimed at defining the appropriate management of these clinical conundrums that frequently accompany alcohol abuse in the elderly, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. It also emphasizes the emerging role of dexmedetomidine in treating the elderly with DTs. |
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