A client with back pain has a partner who reports increased alcohol use; which symptom cluster would indicate withdrawal?

A client with back pain has a partner who reports increased alcohol use; which symptom cluster would indicate withdrawal?

• A. Hypotension, restlessness, and increased respirations
• B. Course motor tremors, increased pulse, and increased anxiety
• C. Blackouts, hallucinations, and convulsions
• D. Loss in inhibition, drowsiness, and impaired judgment

Answer: (B)

Withdrawal from alcohol produces autonomic hyperactivity and CNS arousal when drinking stops. Tremors are a classic early sign, and they’re typically accompanied by a rapid pulse and heightened anxiety as the body reacts to the absence of alcohol. This combination—course motor tremors, increased pulse, and increased anxiety—best fits the withdrawal pattern, reflecting the sympathetic nervous system kicking back in and the brain reacting to alcohol cessation. Other options describe different states. Intoxication often includes slowed responses or impaired judgment; severe withdrawal can involve delirium or seizures, but the specific trio of tremors with a fast heart rate and anxiety points to withdrawal rather than intoxication or more extreme withdrawal manifestations.

Withdrawal from alcohol produces autonomic hyperactivity and CNS arousal when drinking stops. Tremors are a classic early sign, and they’re typically accompanied by a rapid pulse and heightened anxiety as the body reacts to the absence of alcohol. This combination—course motor tremors, increased pulse, and increased anxiety—best fits the withdrawal pattern, reflecting the sympathetic nervous system kicking back in and the brain reacting to alcohol cessation.

Other options describe different states. Intoxication often includes slowed responses or impaired judgment; severe withdrawal can involve delirium or seizures, but the specific trio of tremors with a fast heart rate and anxiety points to withdrawal rather than intoxication or more extreme withdrawal manifestations.