Baclofen Use in Alcohol Withdrawal Patients in Inpatient Settings: A Systematic Review

Aim: To carry out a systematic review of the available evidence from health decision makers, patients, and therapists regarding the ability of Baclofen use in decreasing alcohol withdrawal symptoms to patients in inpatient settings. acute care setting. Methodology: Systematic searches were carried out on the following databases: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, Cochrane and PsycINFO via EBSCO Host, Embase, MEDLINE via PubMed, and Web of Science. The last search date was May 28, 2019. The search was limited to the last 10 years, i.e., from January 1st, 2010. Findings: Four studies were included in the final review. The total population was 258 patients. The studies did not report any statistically significant difference between Baclofen to placebo during the end of the treatment when it comes to decreasing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and reduction of alcohol intake. There was also not a considerable difference between baclofen and standard care dropout, adverse events, and anxiety. Baclofen also increased the frequency of vertigo, dry mouth, and sleepiness. Conclusions: It was uncertain whether Baclofen improves withdrawal signs and symptoms and reduces side effects in comparison to placebo or other medicines as the studies reviewed did not point to any statistical significance. It is recommended that future reviews assume the meta-analysis approach that can help in measuring the level of heterogeneity in such studies to effectively examine the extent to which baclofen can be effective