Presentation comparison

Emergency

Substance Withdrawal

Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can progress to seizures and delirium tremens within hours.

Safety snapshot

Emergency

Timing after last drink plus autonomic overdrive and tremor are classic.

Alcohol withdrawal Benzodiazepine withdrawal Opioid withdrawal

2 of 8 diagnoses compared

Edit selection

CriteriaComparison detail	Opioid withdrawalEmergency

2 of 8 comparedEdit

Safety snapshot

Emergency

Timing after last drink plus autonomic overdrive and tremor are classic.

Alcohol withdrawal Benzodiazepine withdrawal

Selected differentials (2 of 8)

+6 not selected

Open a selected differential to review its clinical record.

Highest urgency

Based on current selection

Emergency

Opioid withdrawal

Clinical reference — not validated decision support. Review before use.

Why it fits	Yawning, lacrimation, rhinorrhoea, piloerection, diarrhoea, cramps, myalgia, anxiety	Fatigue, hypersomnia, low mood, anhedonia, irritability, psychomotor slowing	Tremor, sweating, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, seizures after cessation	Anxiety, tremor, perceptual disturbance, insomnia, agitation, seizures	Agitation, tremor, anxiety, delirium, autonomic instability, insomnia	Irritability, anxiety, craving, poor concentration, restlessness, insomnia	Irritability, insomnia, decreased appetite, low mood, restlessness	Dizziness, insomnia, nausea, flu-like symptoms, "brain zaps"
What argues against	Applies to the whole presentationReview locally.
Must-not-miss	Severe dehydration, intense suicidality, missed concurrent overdose risk	Suicidality, psychosis persisting beyond expected crash	Seizures, delirium tremens, severe autonomic instability, Wernicke risk	Seizures, delirium, severe autonomic instability
Bedside question	Applies to the whole presentationTiming after last drink plus autonomic overdrive and tremor are classic.
Immediate action	Applies to the whole presentationCIWA-Ar if suitable, vitals, BGL, electrolytes, seizure and DTs risk, thiamine need Use medical-first, trauma-informed withdrawal pathway
Investigations	Applies to the whole presentationBlood glucose, Vitals, oxygen saturation, Urea, electrolytes, creatinine
Mimics / overlap	Applies to the whole presentationReview overlap locally.

Why it fits

Yawning, lacrimation, rhinorrhoea, piloerection, diarrhoea, cramps, myalgia, anxiety

Fatigue, hypersomnia, low mood, anhedonia, irritability, psychomotor slowing

Tremor, sweating, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, seizures after cessation

Anxiety, tremor, perceptual disturbance, insomnia, agitation, seizures

Agitation, tremor, anxiety, delirium, autonomic instability, insomnia

Irritability, anxiety, craving, poor concentration, restlessness, insomnia

Irritability, insomnia, decreased appetite, low mood, restlessness

Dizziness, insomnia, nausea, flu-like symptoms, "brain zaps"

What argues against

Applies to the whole presentationReview locally.

Must-not-miss

Severe dehydration, intense suicidality, missed concurrent overdose risk

Suicidality, psychosis persisting beyond expected crash

Seizures, delirium tremens, severe autonomic instability, Wernicke risk

Seizures, delirium, severe autonomic instability

Bedside question

Applies to the whole presentationTiming after last drink plus autonomic overdrive and tremor are classic.

Immediate action

Applies to the whole presentationCIWA-Ar if suitable, vitals, BGL, electrolytes, seizure and DTs risk, thiamine need Use medical-first, trauma-informed withdrawal pathway

Investigations

Applies to the whole presentationBlood glucose, Vitals, oxygen saturation, Urea, electrolytes, creatinine

Mimics / overlap

Applies to the whole presentationReview overlap locally.

Substance Withdrawal

Safety snapshot

Safety snapshot

Selected differentials (2 of 8)

Highest urgency

Applies to the whole presentation, not to one diagnosis

What argues against

Bedside question

Immediate action

Investigations

Mimics / overlap

Why it fits

Must-not-miss

Why it fits

Must-not-miss

Review & handoff

Copy after review

Source status

Selected differentials (2 of 8)

Highest urgency

Review & handoff

Copy after review

Source status