[RNLola035]

Hi, I'm in my psychiatric clinical rotation and I'm on a unit with pts who have dual diagnoses. My assignment is to make a presentation with information regarding alcohol protocols.

Does anyone know of any good web resources to look at so i can find this information? Thank you!

[Daytonite]

Are you talking about alchohol detox protocol?

[RNLola035]

ooops yes i mean alcohol withdrawal protocols

[Daytonite]

You can find some specific information on medical protocol here:

http://www.fpnotebook.com/PSY38.htm - Alcohol withdrawal. Includes management protocols
http://www.fpnotebook.com/PSY39.htm - Alcohol Detox in the ambulatory setting

I used to work on a unit that took acute alcohol detox patients. We had a nurse practitioner who was a specialist in this. Unfortunately, I didn't happen to keep any copies of our standing orders for alcohol detox. I would suggest that you call around to some of the detox centers in your area and ask to talk to the highest nurse in charge of the program. Tell them that you are student and that you are doing a report on this for school. Ask if they would be willing to share their standing orders with you for your report. If you can get a couple copies of these standing orders from different places you will find that, in general, they are pretty much the same. If you do not know where these detox centers are, try calling your local AA chapter and asking them. Make sure you identify yourself as a student looking for information. Professional colleagues are usually more forthcoming when they know they are helping to educate future professionals.

Another place you might find some good information, believe it or not, is the people who run the diversion program of your state medical board. Physicians who are alcoholics have the choice of going into a diversion program operated by their medical board or losing their license to practice once their alcoholism has become a problem. The physicians who administrate these diversion programs are often recovered alcoholics themselves and are very sensitive to this problem. Might be worth a try to contact them. I'm not sure that the state boards of nursing are as active with alcohol treatment of nurses as the doctors are of their colleagues, but you could also try the board of nursing as well.

I do not know the name of the organization, but I believe there is a national nursing or professional group that has a list of detox guidelines. For the life of me I cannot think of their name. You might try posting this question on the Psych Nursing Forum.

[Daytonite]

Here's a couple more sites with some very good information:

http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=9316&nbr=004985&string=alcohol +AND+detoxification - this is the Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with substance use disorders from the American Psychiatric Association. About halfway down the document is a section entitled "Alcohol Use Disorders: Treatment Principles and Alternatives" that you will want to read.

http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=9118&nbr=004932&string=alcohol +AND+detoxification - Detoxification and substance abuse treatment: physical detoxification services for withdrawal from specific substances from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Lot of very specific information on withdrawal from specific types of substances here including alcohol and opioids.