Patterns of alcohol withdrawal during COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-sectional study from a tertiary care center in Telangana

Introduction: Alcohol is a common substance that is legally available in India. Its prevalence varies across geographical and cultural boundaries. There were sudden restrictions on the supply of alcohol use during the COVID-19 lockdown. We conducted this study to understand the pattern of alcohol withdrawal among COVID-19-positive patients admitted for isolation. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2020 to May 2020 at the District Government General Hospital, Nizamabad, Telangana, India. Seventy consenting patients admitted to the COVID isolation ward with a history of alcohol use were included in the study. A structured pro forma was used to collect sociodemographic and clinical profiles from the case sheets. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score was calculated to understand the problems with alcohol use. Results: Eighty-eight percent of the patients consumed local adulterated toddy. The majority were male (88%), with a mean age of 45 years. The median AUDIT score was high (30). They presented with a significantly higher incidence of complications related to alcohol withdrawal including seizures, delirium, and psychosis. The mortality rate was 11%. Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of alcohol use and related complications in the study population. Adulteration of toddy with long-acting benzodiazepines may have been a reason for the higher incidence of complicated withdrawals. Primary care and family physicians must be cognizant of the problem and must take adequate capacity-building measures to manage the complications.