THE EFFICACY OF CLONIDINE IN THE PHARMACOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT OF ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME: PRELIMINARY RESULTS
VIRGIL RADU ENĂTESCU 1#, RALUKA KALINOVIC 2#, CRISTINA ADRIANA DEHELEAN 3, CĂTĂLINA GIURGI-ONCU 1, LAVINIA MARIA HOGEA 1, PETRU IFTENI 4, GABRIELA VLAD 2, OANA NEDA-STEPAN 2, MIHAELA SIMU 1, OVIDIU HOREA BEDREAG 5, ILEANA MARINESCU 6, DELIA HUTANU 7, ILEANA ENĂTESCU 8*, LAURA ALEXANDRA NUSSBAUM 1
1The 8th Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timișoara, Romania 2“Pius Brinzeu” Emergency County Hospital – Psychiatric Clinic, Timișoara, Romania 3The 2nd Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timișoara, Romania 4Transilvania University, Brașov, Romania 5The 10th Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timișoara, Romania 6University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Romania 7Biology Department, West University Timișoara, Romania 8The 12th Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timișoara, Romania *corresponding author: enatescu.ileana@umft.ro #Authors with equal contribution.
.

Download Full Article

Abstract:
Alcohol dependence and harmful use represent the most prevalent addictive disorder worldwide. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is considered a life-threatening condition by inducing severe physiological imbalances. Pharmacological management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome is very complex and challenging, often involving a long duration in getting remission. Our ongoing study aimed to analyse the efficacy of clonidine (an alpha-2-agonist) for improving alcohol withdrawal syndrome quantified by the mean change of The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-Ar) scores. Of 30 patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome recruited so far, 11 (36.7%) benefited from clonidine treatment. Blood pressure and other physiological signs were periodically monitored. Although at the beginning of the treatment there were no differences between the mean CIWA-Ar scores (t = 0.352, p = 0.599), after 5 days the difference became significant in favour of those treated with clonidine (t = 3.147, p = 0.004). Clonidine may provide additional benefit in managing alcohol withdrawal by offering a different mechanism of action for targeting withdrawal symptoms.

Top