A Comparison of Lorazepam and Diazepam in the Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal
Information source: Stanford University
Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on June 20, 2008
Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Condition(s) targeted: Alcohol Withdrawal
Intervention: Lorazepam (Drug); Diazepam (Drug)
Phase: N/A
Status: Completed
Sponsored by: Stanford University Official(s) and/or principal investigator(s):
Jose R Maldonado, MD, Principal Investigator, Affiliation: Stanford University
Summary
The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of two commonly used medications in the
treatment of alcohol withdrawal, diazepam and lorazepam.
Clinical Details
Official title: A Comparison of Lorazepam and Diazepam in the Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal
Study design: Treatment, Randomized, Open Label, Active Control, Parallel Assignment, Efficacy Study
Primary outcome: The primary outcome measures include serial measures of vital signs and scores on the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised scale (CIWA-Ar), a widely used scale that monitors alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Secondary outcome: Secondary outcome measures include total benzodiazepine use.
Detailed description:
Despite the frequent use of benzodiazepines for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, studies
comparing the efficacy of long and short half-life benzodiazepines in the treatment of
alcohol withdrawal have shown mixed results. Due to the conflicting nature of published
reports, clinicians have no clear indication as to which type of agent is preferable. The
purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of two commonly accepted medications in the
treatment of alcohol withdrawal, diazepam and lorazepam, which are long and short half-life
benzodiazepines, respectively.
Eligibility
Minimum age: 19 Years.
Maximum age: N/A.
Gender(s): Both.
Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Clinical diagnosis of alcohol withdrawal
- History of alcohol use within 24 hours
- Ability to consent to participate in the study
Exclusion Criteria:
- Unwillingness to participate in the study
- Active abuse of other CNS depressants
- Acute intoxication with a CNS activating agent
- Severe hepatic dysfunction
- Pregnancy
- History of dementia
Locations and Contacts
Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, California 94305, United States
Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Hospital System, Palo Alto, California 94304, United States
Additional Information
Starting date: May 2003
Ending date: November 2004
Last updated: August 29, 2007
|
