Sindrome confusional agudo por abstinencia aguda de nicotina / Acute confusional syndrome due to acute nicotine withdrawal
Medicina [B.Aires]
; 62(4): 335-336, 2002.
Article
in Spanish
| BINACIS
| ID: bin-7717
Responsible library:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
Delirium or acute confusional state among hospitalized patients is a frequent and serious problem. It is characterized by acute onset symptoms, fluctuating course, impaired attention, unorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. Delirium, as a manifestation of acute nicotine withdrawal syndrome has been reported in the reviewed literature only in eight cases. We report the case of a heavy smoker admitted because of a reagudization of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. At the third day of nicotine abstinence, he developed delirium with a rapid improvement of his symptoms after treatment with a transdermal nicotine patch. This description suggests that in hospitalized heavy smokers who develop delirium with agitation, a simple trial with a nicotine patch can offer a dramatic therapeutic response in a few hours, constituting additionally a confirmatory test. The recognition of delirium as a manifestation of nicotine withdrawal could allow to determine the origin of symptoms and to apply the appropriate therapy, in certain complex cases that now remain undiagnosed (AU)
Full text:
Available
Collection:
National databases
/
Argentina
Health context:
SDG3 - Health and Well-Being
Health problem:
Target 3.5: Prevention and treatment of consumption of psychoactive substances
Database:
BINACIS
Main subject:
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
/
Delirium
/
Nicotine
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
Spanish
Journal:
Medicina [B.Aires]
Year:
2002
Document type:
Article
Institution/Affiliation country:
Clínica Modelo/Argentina