Management of Alcohol Dependence in General Hospital Inpatient Setting: An Update

Increasing prevalence of alcohol use disorders in India is likely to translate into general hospital inpatients catering more to patients with alcohol dependence. This review provides a background of the management of patients with alcohol use disorders in the inpatient setting, updated with the recent findings. The review discusses the diagnostic criteria usually used for the diagnosis of alcohol dependence. This is followed by discussion of overall management principles and assessment perspectives. The management of the initial detoxification phase and the subsequent maintenance phase are discussed, both in terms of pharmacological management and non-pharmacological approaches.