CIWA
Also written as: CIWA — Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol
Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol - standardized scale used to monitor and manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Full Definition
The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA) is a validated 10-item assessment tool used to quantify the severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms and guide treatment decisions. The scale evaluates nausea/vomiting, tremor, paroxysmal sweats, anxiety, agitation, tactile disturbances, auditory disturbances, visual disturbances, headache, and orientation. Each item is scored on a scale of 0-7, with total scores ranging from 0-67. Scores of 10 or higher typically indicate need for pharmacological intervention, while scores above 15 suggest severe withdrawal requiring intensive monitoring and treatment. CIWA protocols help standardize withdrawal management, reduce complications, and optimize medication administration in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from COWS (opiate withdrawal) and SOWS (subjective opiate withdrawal) assessments.
In Context
- "CIWA scores remained elevated at 18 despite lorazepam administration, prompting consultation with addiction medicine." — medical unit progress note
- "Nursing staff will administer CIWA assessments every 4 hours and provide PRN benzodiazepines per protocol." — detoxification unit orders