The Withdrawal Syndrome Scale for Alcohol and Related Psychoactive Drugs: Total Scores as Guidelines for Treatment with Phenobarbital

A clinically relevant scale for rating the degree of severity of withdrawal syndromes (WSA) is presented. A total of 293 patients were studied and subgrouped: alcohol abusers, medicine abusers and combined abusers. The patiens who developed symptoms beyond a predetermined level on WSA were treated with phenobarbital. Diagnosis and the dosage of phenobarbital were established on admission by the doctor, but the WSA ratings were performed by the nursing staff, who also administered phenobarbital every second hour if needed and in accordance with the rating. Nearly all patients received the total dose of phenobarbital within three days, the major part within the first day. No patient showed signs of overdosage or other complications. It is concluded that this treatment procedure is safe, easy to handle and less time-consuming than most other treatment modalities in this field.