Substance use disorders, overdose and withdrawal
Diagnosing substance use disorders, managing alcohol, opioid, benzodiazepine, GHB, stimulant and cannabis withdrawal in hospital, continuing opioid agonist treatment safely, and relapse-prevention drugs, with older people and pregnancy.
Tier 1Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- Substance use disorder is a clinical diagnosis based on loss of control, harm and continued use, not on the amount alone.
- In hospital, the work is predicting and treating withdrawal, continuing opioid agonist treatment safely, and using the admission to start treatment.
- Alcohol withdrawal: symptom-triggered benzodiazepines, thiamine, electrolytes. Never phenytoin for withdrawal seizures.
Loading the rest of the note…
Finished reading?
Sources
- Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems (Haber PS, Riordan BC, eds)AU/NZUniversity of Sydney for the Australian Government Department of Health, 2021
- Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcoholAU/NZNational Health and Medical Research Council, 2020
- National Guidelines for Medication-Assisted Treatment of Opioid Dependence (Gowing L et al.)AU/NZAustralian Government Department of Health, 2014
- Prescribing drugs of dependence in general practiceAU/NZRoyal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Therapeutic Guidelines: Psychotropic and Toxicology and Toxinology (2024 to 2026 updates)AU/NZTherapeutic Guidelines Limited, 2026
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Turnstile bot check on sign-in and signed-out feedback