RT Journal
A1 BOWMAN KM, WORTIS H, KEISER S
T1 THe treatment of delirium tremens
JF Journal of the American Medical Association
JO Journal of the American Medical Association
YR 1939
FD April 1
VO 112
IS 13
SP 1217
OP 1219
DO 10.1001/jama.1939.02800130001001
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1939.02800130001001
AB Beyond the fact that delirium tremens occurs in habitually severe and chronic alcoholism and that it frequently follows injuries, operations and acute infections, little is known of the actual etiologic factors at play. Since this syndrome was adequately and accurately described as long ago as 1813,1 it seems remarkable that no real attempt has been made to study the physiologic and chemical changes which accompany it. The more recent therapies,2 which have included various means of dehydration and repeated spinal drainage, are all based on the observation that at autopsy persons with delirium tremens frequently show cerebral edema. Such therapy, however, takes no account of the generalized dehydration and manifest toxicity which all these patients show and, furthermore, ignores many pathophysiologic phenomena which not only exist in these patients but are probably of at least equal importance.In the prodromal period of delirium tremens the patient often experiences