Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

The correct answer is to administer benzodiazepines. In alcohol withdrawal syndrome, benzodiazepines are the first-line treatment to manage symptoms and prevent progression to more severe complications like seizures or delirium tremens. Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effect of GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, which helps to reduce anxiety, tremors, and the risk of seizures.

While IV fluids are important in managing dehydration often associated with alcohol withdrawal, they are not the most critical initial intervention. Haloperidol, an antipsychotic, is not typically used as a first-line treatment for alcohol withdrawal and may lower the seizure threshold. Ordering a psychiatric consult, while potentially beneficial later in treatment, is not the most urgent action needed to address the patient's acute withdrawal symptoms.