The goal of the CIWA protocol is to minimize the risk of complications and optimize the patient’s recovery.
It is also known as the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol scale.
More recently, the CIWA protocol has been shown to be an effective tool formanaging alcohol withdrawal.
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What Is the CIWA Protocol for Alcohol Withdrawal Used For?
The CIWA protocol is used to assess and manage the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
It can be used in both inpatient andoutpatientsettings.
Scores can be used to guide the intensity of treatment.
The CIWA protocol items are scored on a scale of 0-7, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.
The final item regarding orientation to time and place is rated from 0-4.
The CIWA score is based on the patient’s self-reported symptoms and observable signs.
It takes two minutes to administer the assessment.
The patient is first asked a question regarding the severity of their symptoms for each item where required.
The total score is then calculated by adding up the scores for all 10 items.
What Are the Treatment Guidelines for the CIWA Protocol?
The treatment guidelines for the CIWA protocol are based on the severity of the patient’s symptoms.
American Society of Addiction Medicine.Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment
of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-Ar).
2021;16(1):21.
2016;6(3):114-119.
Published 2016 May 6. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.05.114
