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Abstract: 

Identifying inmates at risk of alcohol withdrawal and treating these patients proactively is the most important step in preventing alcohol related death in jail. This article from Catherine Knox’s Nursing Essentials series outlines the key steps in recognizing and treating alcohol withdrawal, beginning with determining whether to accept an individual exhibiting signs of serious alcohol poisoning or withdrawal into the jail or send him to the local hospital for further evaluation. It covers essential screening questions, the common conditions that present with withdrawal, standard alcohol consumption assessments, and the use of the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment-Alcohol Revised for monitoring withdrawal.

Keywords: CAGE Alcohol Abuse Assessment Tool; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C); Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment-Alcohol Revised

Affiliations:  1: Correctional Nursing Consultant.