Delirium: A dangerous disease

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Patients who are addicted to alcohol after stopping drinking may experience delirium with clinical manifestations such as delirium, hallucinations... Delirium is a dangerous disease if not treated promptly. .

1. What is delirium?

Delirium is a psychiatric emergency. The disease develops against the background of severe alcoholism syndrome. The death rate of people with delirium is 22-33%, if not treated and detected in time and properly.
Delirium has 2 stages:
Stage 1: The onset stage Alcohol delirium has a sudden onset, one to several days after the person stops drinking. Patients with alcohol delirium will have initial symptoms such as insomnia, tremors, autonomic disturbances, and dizziness. From the time you stop drinking to getting drunk, it usually takes 1-2 days, but in some cases it takes 3-4 days.
Delirium always begins with epileptic seizures. Therefore, in patients with alcohol withdrawal who develop epileptic seizures, alcohol delirium should be prevented.
Second stage: Full-blown stage This stage usually appears 3 - 5 days after alcohol withdrawal. Patients with alcohol delirium will appear the following symptoms:
Symptoms of consciousness disorders: The patient has disorientation, disordered time. I don't know who I am.
Suffering from paranoia: The patient will have hallucinations and delusions that are strongly expressed. Paranoid symptoms and hallucinations will appear at any time, they dominate all actions of the patient.
People with delirium often run suddenly, attack invisible enemies... these actions can cause unintended accidents for themselves and those around them. .
Usually, the symptoms of delirium will decrease in the morning and increase in the evening.

2. The danger of delirium

People who quit drinking when having a delirium, often scream and struggle violently. When infected, it must be treated promptly or it will lead to death.
Nowadays, delirium is not uncommon. According to doctors, people with delirium often run, even jump from above to the ground. They do not regulate their own behavior.
Alcohol delirium is common in patients who are drinking alcohol regularly and then can no longer drink, besides, the disease can also appear in people who can't drink alcohol, or drink little, and also have hallucinations, paranoia. These patients are difficult to treat, the most dangerous is the occurrence of seizures, hypoglycemia, electrolyte disturbances, etc., if the patient is not treated well, the mortality rate is quite high.
Alcoholic patients have low resistance, or infections, so after stopping alcohol, patients often feel tired and moody, making the process of alcohol withdrawal even more difficult. The most dangerous for people with delirium who continue to drink alcohol is the risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer.
For chronic alcoholics, after stopping alcohol, they will feel restlessness, insomnia, sadness, anxiety, tremors or convulsions... The patient's personality also changes markedly, becoming should be more aggressive, more cruel...
Patients with delirium often show signs of forgetfulness, severe memory disturbances. Later, the spirit declines, becomes stupid, slow.
Patients with delirium will be at risk of acute and very severe mental disorders: delirium (not aware of the things around, always having a horrible feeling like someone wants to attack themselves,. ..or hear voices threatening to kill themselves. Therefore, people with delirium tremens often have extremely dangerous behaviors such as attacking others, killing people), shaking (the patient has tremors, tremors). legs, whole body tremor, symptoms may be accompanied by unsteady walking, profuse sweating, etc.).

3. How is alcohol delirium treated?

When suffering from delirium, the patient needs to be treated in the emergency room of the psychiatric department, with a suction machine, an oxygen tank, and other equipment for timely handling:
The patient needs to be immobilized. at the bed. Have the patient drink wine or smell alcohol-soaked cotton to relieve symptoms of delirium. Perform first-level nursing care. Perform sputum suction and give oxygen if necessary. Perform necessary tests, especially blood sugar. Prescriptions. Psychological Clinic - Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for outpatient examination and treatment of psychological and mental health problems. With modern equipment, with a team of professional doctors, intensive psychotherapies, patients with alcoholism will be best diagnosed and treated to achieve the highest efficiency.
Delirium is a dangerous disease. Patients need to be examined and treated promptly. Patients also need great efforts from themselves to be successful in the treatment process.

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