COWS
Also written as: COWS — Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale - a standardized assessment tool for measuring the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Full Definition
The Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale is a validated assessment instrument designed to objectively measure the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms. COWS evaluates eleven clinical indicators including vital signs, pupil size, sweating, restlessness, tremor, anxiety, muscle aches, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramping. Each item is scored on a scale of 0-4 or 0-8, with higher total scores indicating more severe withdrawal. The scale is widely used in addiction medicine to guide medication-assisted treatment decisions, monitor withdrawal progression, and determine appropriate intervention levels. COWS scores help standardize withdrawal assessment across different providers and treatment settings.
Usage
Usage note: Document specific numerical scores rather than general severity descriptors.
In Context
- "The patient's COWS score of 28 indicated moderate withdrawal requiring medication-assisted management." — Addiction medicine assessment
- "Daily COWS monitoring showed decreasing withdrawal severity from 31 to 12 over five days." — Detoxification progress note