CLINICAL PREDICTORS OF ALCOHOL-WITHDRAWAL DELIRIUM

Up to now, clinical predictors for the course of the alcohol withdrawa l syndrome, especially for the occurrence of a delirium, are lacking. Thus, this study was undertaken to examine whether clinical routine in vestigations at admission before the withdrawal syndrome can reveal fa ctors indicating a higher risk for the development of a delirium. Our results showed that decreased serum electrolyte concentrations (i.e., chloride and potassium), elevated ALT, and gamma-glutamyltransferase s erum levels, as well as ataxia and polyneuropathy at the neurological examination, indicate a higher risk for the development of an alcohol withdrawal delirium.