SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Phenobarbital for Etoh Withdrawal Decreases Length of Stay and Cost in a Majority Minority Tertiary Care Hospital

Phenobarbital for Etoh Withdrawal Decreases Length of Stay and Cost in a Majority Minority Tertiary Care Hospital

Pdf Summary

This study compared phenobarbital-based and lorazepam-based protocols for treating alcohol withdrawal at the University of New Mexico Hospitals (UNMH), a majority-minority tertiary care center. The project was motivated by a lorazepam shortage and by emerging evidence that phenobarbital is a safe alternative to benzodiazepines.<br /><br />The researchers reviewed patients admitted in fall 2021 with a diagnosis of alcohol withdrawal and compared outcomes between the two treatment approaches. Their main goals were to determine which protocol produced better patient outcomes and which caused fewer side effects.<br /><br />The results showed that patients treated with phenobarbital had a significantly shorter hospital length of stay than those treated with lorazepam. The authors reported that this difference could save an estimated $7,252 per inpatient stay. Based on these findings, phenobarbital appears to be an effective and safe option for alcohol withdrawal treatment in this patient population.<br /><br />Overall, the study suggests that phenobarbital may reduce hospital resource use while maintaining safety, making it a useful alternative to lorazepam for alcohol withdrawal management.

Asset Subtitle

Helene Martinez

Meta Tag

Author List Deepti Rao, Erika Clark, Evan Kudron, Helene Martinez, Nikolaus Neudorf, Preeyaporn Sarangarm, Sarah Jawadi, Sean McCullough

Category Research

Concept Phenobarbital

Concept Letter of Recommendation

Concept Alcohol Withdrawal

Concept Hospital Length of Stay

Concept Safety Profile

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of New Mexico School of Medicine

Presenting Author Helene Martinez

Track Outcomes Research

Keywords

phenobarbital

lorazepam

alcohol withdrawal

hospital length of stay

benzodiazepines

treatment protocol

patient outcomes

side effects

University of New Mexico Hospitals

cost savings

Phenobarbital

Letter of Recommendation

Alcohol Withdrawal

Hospital Length of Stay

Safety Profile