Phenobarbital treatment of alcohol withdrawal in the emergency department: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

• Published in: Academic emergency medicine Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 515 - 524
• Main Authors: Lee, Carmen M., Dillon, David G., Tahir, Peggy M., Murphy, Charles E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Alcohol withdrawal; Benzodiazepines - therapeutic use; Emergency medical care; Emergency Service, Hospital; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives - therapeutic use; Phenobarbital - therapeutic use; Substance abuse treatment; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - drug therapy; Systematic review

Objective Despite frequent treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in the emergency department (ED), evidence for phenobarbital (PB) as an ED alternative therapy is mixed. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis comparing safety and efficacy of PB to benzodiazepines (BZDs) for trea...