Replacing the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment-Alcohol revised with the modified Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale for alcohol withdrawal to support management of alcohol withdrawal symptoms: potential impact on length of stay and complications.

This was the first study to compare patient outcomes associated with using mRASS-AW for alcohol withdrawal symptoms outside the ICU. Replacing CIWA-Ar with mRASS-AW did not worsen length of stay or complications. These findings provide some evidence that mRASS-AW could be considered an alternative to CIWA-Ar and potentially may provide an opportunity to release nursing time to care.