Remote Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2022-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This study will evaluate the feasibility of delivering symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management by telemedicine and determine whether this intervention is satisfactory to patients.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Collaborators: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
• Treatments: Diazepam

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults 18 years and older

• Are actively using alcohol

• Previously met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) B criteria for alcohol withdrawal

• Are able to provide informed consent in English

• Reside or are able to stay at an address within 2-hours travelling distance from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health for the entire duration of the remote withdrawal procedure

• Are enrolled in the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of complicated withdrawal including withdrawal seizures, hallucinosis, or delirium

• Positive urine drug screen for sedatives or opioids, currently prescribed sedatives or opioids, or diagnosis of sedative-hypnotic or opioid use disorder within the past year (based on assessment). Individuals prescribed low doses of benzodiazepines (e.g. lorazepam 1mg PO daily) may be permitted to proceed with the study at the discretion of the study physician

• Severe medical or psychiatric comorbidity that would prevent safe participation in the study

• Active symptoms of COVID-19 or known contact with someone with COVID-19 within the past 2 weeks. For participants who have recovered from known COVID-19, documentation of a negative polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 following infection will be necessary in order to be considered eligible for the study

• Contraindications to the safe use of diazepam including: known hypersensitivity to diazepam severe respiratory insufficiency, severe hepatic insufficiency, sleep apnea syndrome, acute narrow-angle glaucoma, and myasthenia gravis

• Active withdrawal symptoms (CIWA-Ar > 12) at the time of the eligibility assessment

• Active suicidal ideation at the time of eligibility assessment

• Positive urine pregnancy test, actively breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant or breastfeed during the study period

• Lack of stable housing

• Enrollment in another study that conflicts with the procedures or scientific integrity of this study