Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.6.1.1 (aspartate aminotransferase)
 21,665 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This retrospective cohort study sought to identify clinical variables that independently correlate with severe alcohol withdrawal and to quantify risk in a clinically useful manner. The records of 284 inpatients admitted to an acute detoxification unit at a Veterans Affairs teaching hospital were reviewed. Clinical data were recorded on standardized forms at the time of admission and abstracted by a physician reviewer. Alcohol withdrawal severity was prospectively measured with the revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA-Ar) scale. Seventy-one patients (25% of cohort) had severe withdrawal. We identified six independent correlates of severe withdrawal: use of a morning eye-opener (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 5.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-25.9), an initial CIWA-Ar score > or =10 (OR, 5.1; 95% CI, 2.4-10.6), a serum aspartate aminotransferase > or =80 U/L (OR, 4.2; 95% CI, 2.0-8.8), past benzodiazepine use (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.3-9.9), self-reported history of "delirium tremens" (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3-6.2), and prior participation in two or more alcohol treatment programs (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3-5.6). Significantly higher risk was observed in subjects with three or more independent correlates. In conclusion, several readily available clinical variables correlate with the occurrence of severe alcohol withdrawal. Ascertainment of these variables early in the course of alcohol withdrawal has the potential to improve triage and treatment decisions.
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PMID:Independent clinical correlates of severe alcohol withdrawal. 1457 86

Alcohol dependence is a chronic disease whose treatment begins with detoxification, followed by rehabilitation. We present a descriptive and retrospective study of 147 patients admitted to our unit during the period 2003-2005. Median age was 46.07 years, with 77.6% men and 22.4% women. Admission diagnosis was alcohol withdrawal syndrome in 31 patients (21.1%) and programmed alcohol detoxification in 116 patients (78.9%). On the CIWA-Ar scale: mild withdrawal, 100 patients (68.5%), moderate, 35 patients (24%), severe, 11 patients (7.5%). Mild group showed a statistically significantly lower proportion of hepatopathy, by comparison with the moderate and severe groups. Statistically significant differences were found between the mild and severe groups on comparing mean age, duration of stay, quantity of alcohol and parameters of chronic consumption (ferritine, fe, VCM, UBE, AST, bilirubin and Mg) for AST and bilirubin. There were 11 seizures: 4 patients from the programmed group, with mild withdrawal on the CIWA-Ar scale, and 7 patients with moderate-severe withdrawal. No relationship was found between patients intensity of withdrawal syndrome, age or sex. There was higher intensity on the CIWA-Ar score (moderate and severe) among patients who had already begun withdrawal syndrome, compared to those admitted on a planned detoxification programme. The CIWA-Ar is a useful tool for assessing withdrawal symptoms and risks of complication and for planning treatment. Clinical practice must provide patients with access to health resources for the appropriate treatment of their addiction, with standardized assistance during their stay in hospital.
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PMID:[Descriptive study of alcohol detoxifications in an Internal Medicine Service]. 1911 25

Alcohol-use-disorders (AUDs) afflict 1-3% of elderly subjects. The CAGE, SMAST-G, and AUDIT are the most common and validated questionnaires used to identify AUDs in the elderly, and some laboratory markers of alcohol abuse (AST, GGT, MCV, and CDT) may also be helpful. In particular, the sensitivity of MCV or GGT in detecting alcohol misuse is higher in older than in younger populations. The incidence of medical and neurological complications during alcohol withdrawal syndrome in elderly alcoholics is higher than in younger alcoholics. Chronic alcohol abuse is associated with tissue damage to several organs. Namely, an increased level of blood pressure is more frequent in the elderly than in younger adults, and a greater vulnerability to the onset of alcoholic liver disease, and an increasing risk of breast cancer in menopausal women have been described. In addition, the prevalence of dementia in elderly alcoholics is almost 5 times higher than in non-alcoholic elderly individuals, approximately 25% of elderly patients with dementia also present AUDs, and almost 20% of individuals aged 65 and over with a diagnosis of depression have a co-occurring AUD. Moreover, prevention of drinking relapse in older alcoholics is, in some cases, better than in younger patients; indeed, more than 20% of treated elderly alcohol-dependent patients remain abstinent after 4 years. Considering that the incidence of AUDs in the elderly is fairly high, and AUDs in the elderly are still underestimated, more studies in the fields of epidemiology, prevention and pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment of AUDs in the elderly are warranted.
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PMID:Alcohol use disorders in the elderly: a brief overview from epidemiology to treatment options. 2257 56