According to the 2020 American College of Addiction Medicine clinical practice guideline on alcohol withdrawal management, what tools should be used to monitor alcohol withdrawal delirium?
According to the cited reference, structured assessment scales should be used, such as the Confusion Assessment Method for ICU Patients (CAM-ICU), Delirium Detection Score (DDS), Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), or Minnesota Detoxification Scale (MINDS). It is not recommended to use the CIWA-Ar in patients with delirium because it relies on patient-reported symptoms.
Lindsay, Dawn L. PhD; Freedman, Kenneth MD, DFASAM; Jarvis, Margaret MD, DFASAM; Lincoln, Piper MS; Williams, Jessica MPH; Nelson, Lewis S. MD, FASAM; Safarian, Taleen BA Executive Summary of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Clinical Practice Guideline on Alcohol Withdrawal Management, Journal of Addiction Medicine: September/October 2020 – Volume 14 – Issue 5 – p 376-392 doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000732