Delirium tremens patients have increased mortality and morbidity compared to alcohol withdrawal or dependence
Norway: People treated for delirium tremens (DT), a severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome, appears to have higher comorbidity and mortality rates compared to people with other alcohol use disorders, a recent study published in Wiley Addiction has revealed.
The national longitudinal health registry study aimed to compare outcomes including all-cause and cause-specific mortality, as well as alcohol-related morbidity, among patients with DT, alcohol withdrawal state (AWS), and alcohol dependence (AD). The study included 36,287 patients registered in the Norwegian Patient Registry between 2009 and 2015, aged 20 to 79 years, who had been diagnosed with AD, AWS, or DT.
● The findings of the study revealed that patients diagnosed with delirium tremens experienced a higher annual mortality rate of 8.0%, compared to 5.0% for those with AWS and 3.6% for those with alcohol dependence.
● The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for DT patients was notably elevated at 9.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.9–10.7), indicating significantly higher mortality compared to AD patients (SMR = 7.0, 95% CI = 6.8–7.2) and AWS patients (SMR = 7.8, 95% CI = 7.2–8.4).
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