Alcohol delirium (white fever, squirrel)

Latin delirium tremens in the people is called a "squirrel". Alcohol delirium was first described by Sutton in 1813. Later, the alcoholic nature of the phenomenon was established by Raye.

Today, alcoholic delirium is the most frequentalcoholic psychosis, which occurs in alcoholics after a daily long use of alcohol. With age, the frequency of development increases. The greatest consistency develops after the seventh year of alcoholism. The disease is typical of men and women, but in men it manifests itself much more often.

Develops a psychosis not from directthe effects of alcoholic beverages, and in connection with the effect of the breakdown of the products of these drinks and impaired metabolism. Therefore, the disease is treated as "psychoses of metal". Especially common psychosis - hallucinosis, delirium - usually occur not during drinking, but at the peak of intoxication, during the period of abstinence. At this time in the blood, the alcohol content is already starting to drop sharply.

People who do not suffer from alcoholism,alcoholic delirium does not appear even at very high doses of alcohol (beverages) drunk. The occurrence of such psychoses can be preceded by: trauma, infectious diseases, stress, beriberi.

Delirium alcoholic develops in the first threedays after stopping drinking alcohol. It often occurs at the apex of the withdrawal syndrome. Physical weakness increases; arterial pressure is increased; arise or intensify pain in the liver, stomach, heart, headaches; nausea and vomiting are possible; alternating fever and chilliness; sweating; inhibition in movement; insomnia; anxiety, attacks of jealousy.

Against this background, the mental state changes(the initial stage of psychosis). the person becomes fussy, hastily businesslike, overly lively. Attention is unstable, loss of time and environment. There are floods of thoughts and memories. Hallucinations begin. Alertness is replaced by a desire to act, to pursue. In different patients, the power of manifestation is different and often depends on the duration of the drinking-bout, the previous illnesses and the suddenness of getting out of the drinking-bout. There can be hallucinations of visual, auditory (or in a complex), acute sensual delirium, uncontrollable aggression possible to a different degree.

There is a detailed psychosis. Disorientation is replaced by enlightenment. Hallucinations are especially bright, mobile, plural. Not only auditory and visual, but also tactile, vestibular, thermal. There is a sensation of wire and threads in the hair and mouth. Often patients see insects and small animals: cockroaches, spiders, mice, reduced lions, hippos, etc., devils. At the same time, they can feel the touch and the sounds emanating from the visions. Behavior at this time is associated with deceptions of perception: they drive cats, mice, devils out of the house, shake off spiders, pull something out of the hair or mouth.

At this time, the patient reacts to the conversation in his presence, can enter into a conversation.

Alcohol delirium usually lasts no more than threedays. Symptoms disappear after hours of sleep. The content of visions is usually forgotten. The patient is in a state of severe fatigue, down to exhaustion. Possible drowsiness, followed by irritability and anger, or, conversely, a good mood, complacency, carelessness.

Alcoholic delirium. Treatment.

In the absence of treatment, about 10% of patients die. The cause of death is a violation of the heart and suicide committed during the period of the disease. During psychosis, the patient is very dangerous to others. Very often alcohol delirium leads to damage to the nervous system: memory, perception, thinking are broken. For those who have had the disease at least once, taking even a small amount of alcoholic beverages can lead to a relapse.

All of the above symptoms are a signal tourgent hospitalization. There is no specific treatment regimen. Treatment is more symptomatic, consisting in the maintenance of cardiac activity, sedatives, immobilization of the patient for the time of attacks.