Phenobarbital vs Ativan for Alcohol Withdrawal in the Intensive Care Unit

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2022-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Our aim is to compare outcomes of patients with benzodiazepine-refractory alcohol withdrawal syndrome who are treated with either a phenobarbital-based or a lorazepam based protocol.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: OSF Healthcare System
• Treatments: Ethanol; Lorazepam; Phenobarbital

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients will be eligible for randomization if he/she has met one of the following three conditions:

1. has required more than 10 mg of lorazepam within a one hour time period,

2. has required more than 30 mg of lorazepam within a four hour time period, or

3. requires admission/transfer to the intensive care unit for primarily uncontrolled alcohol withdrawal symptoms

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients will be excluded from the study if he/she:

1. has a traumatic brain injury or other neurological condition requiring frequent neurological assessment (stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, active seizures on admission)

2. has severe hypotension requiring vasopressor support

3. is less than 18 years of age

4. is actively pregnant

5. has an allergy to either of the drugs being studied (phenobarbital or lorazepam)

6. is already intubated at the time of randomization