Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium Like Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: Intensive Care Case Report
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Background: Heavy drinkers who suddenly decrease their alcohol consumption or abstain completely may experience in hours or days alcohol withdrawal delirium. Symptoms may include the following: Autonomic hiperactivity, tremors, insomnia, transient hallucinations (auditory, visual, or tactile), nausea/vomiting, anxiety or agitation and grand mal seizures. Case: A 36 years old, woman, married, have two child, housewife, African-British patient suffered clouded conciousness, hyperthermia, tremors all around the body. First exemination of patient in emergency department established clouded conciousness, widespread rigidity and tremors all around the body, hyperthermia (40 C degrees), tachycardia, sweating, hypertension, visual hallucinations, leukocytosis, increasing of creatine kinase rates more than 200 equal amount, hypokalemia, increasing of liver enzymes. With this findings and neuroleptic intake doubt patient hospitalized for further exemination and treatment. Conclusion: Alcohol withdrawal delirium must be identified because it is accompanied by substantial mortality. Anamnesis and investigation should be sufficient for differential diagnosis. This case diagnosed as neuroleptic malignant syndrome after first exemination. After the detailing exemination diagnosis changed to alcohol withdrawal delirium. We made the differential diagnosis and inspected the case with help of the literature.