Acute Alcoholic Psychoses and Related Syndromes: Psychosocial and Clinical Characteristics and their Implications.

An intensive study was undertaken based upon the chart review of a large number of consecutive male admissions for acute alcohol withdrawal syndromes to a university psychiatric service. Basic psychosocial characteristics were examined along with the characteristics of the presenting picture and the clinical course. The patients had been treated with paraldehyde along principles described elsewhere. The analysis of this data would document an extensive experience gained in a circumscribed zone of time and space. It was expected that it would contribute to a better understanding of the natural history of this group of related withdrawal syndromes by yielding information about etiologic and prognostic factors. It would also summarize and make possible the evaluation of the treatment program. It would also serve to make a large body of data available for subsequent cross-cultural, cross-temporal and cross-therapeutic comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]