Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Diagnosis
To diagnose alcohol withdrawal syndrome, a doctor need to do a physical exam and ask some questions about your symptoms and medical history. Several signs that he or she may look for include a fever, dehydration, an irregular heart rate, or hand tremors. A toxicology screen can also be conducted to measure alcohol levels in the body. Another test for alcohol withdrawal syndrome diagnosis is the CIWA-Ar, which includes a group of questions to determine how severe the symptoms are. This test is based on 10 common symptoms of the condition, include visual disturbances, tremor, tactile disturbances, excessive sweating, vomiting and nausea, headache, confusion, auditory hallucinations, anxiety, and agitation. It is worth to note that the results of the CIWA-Ar can be subjective and unreliable. [6]
