Alcohol Detoxification: Methadone Facts

Question: Should alcohol detoxification be attempted on a partial hospital unit?

(Posted by: sktgrl119 on 2009-08-06 19:57:38)

Do you believe that a patient should attempt to detox from alcohol on a day hosptial unit, if the patient plans to commute back and forth from home? The partial unit operates from 8 am- 2:30 pm. We will say that the patient is a 40 year old male who reports that he drinks 12- 18 cans of beer a night for about 15 years and has never gone more than one or two nights without drinking. This issue has recently come up at my place of employment and I would love feedback from other professionals.. Thanks for your feedback thus far. Its my understanding that patients should be medically monitored when detoxing because of the risk of DT (delirium tremens) and withdrawal seizures. To me, it seems dangerous to detox in a partial hospital program, where he will not be medically monitored at night. What do other folks think?

Posted by: Sparky on 2009-08-06, 20:02:49

If the patient needs to detox in a hospital setting, then he should be in the hospital full-time, not just from 8am-2:30...what's the point of that?

Posted by: ReggieR on 2009-08-06, 20:16:53

. As a Lic.Counselor and Cert Subtance Abuse Counselor. Detoxing in the hospital would be the best idea. In my states there are state funded treatment centers that offer medical detox. You could look it up in the phone book under Dept of Mental Health-Substance Abuse. And ask for information, in the event this person does not have insurance. God Bless ReggieR