Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

The patient is likely experiencing alcohol withdrawal syndrome, specifically with symptoms suggesting delirium tremens, which is a serious and potentially fatal condition. The immediate administration of benzodiazepines is key to managing the symptoms, preventing seizures, and reducing the risk of mortality. Administering magnesium sulfate as a first-line treatment is incorrect because it does not directly address the withdrawal symptoms, though it may be used adjunctively to manage associated hypomagnesemia. Providing intravenous fluids without benzodiazepines would not sufficiently treat the withdrawal symptoms, and haloperidol, an antipsychotic, can lower the seizure threshold and is not the first-line treatment for delirium tremens.