A 39-year-old man presents to the ER by his wife. They were watching TV when she noticed that her husband was confused and stumbling. He is not usually at home at this time but he did not feel good all day. He used to drink every night with his friends at the bar but he did not go with them in the last two nights. He assumed that he was tired because he drank too much last time two days ago. He denied chest pain, shortness of breath or any abdominal symptoms. His CT scan is negative for any mass or bleeding.
His lab tests show:
AST 64 U/L
ALT 24 U/L
Lactose dehydrogenase 267 U/L
What is the most likely diagnosis of this patient’s condition?
A- Alcohol toxicity
B- Alcohol withdrawal
C- Stroke
D- Heart attack
Answer:
This patient is alcoholic. He drinks every night with his friends. The signs and symptoms that he suffers now is typical of alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol withdrawal starts to show up signs after 24-36 hours after the last drink.
The correct answer is B