Alcohol Withdrawal requires at least how many symptoms within several hours to a few days after cessation?

• A. Two
• B. Three
• C. Four
• D. Five

Answer: (A)

Two symptoms are the threshold. Alcohol withdrawal is diagnosed when someone who has been drinking heavily for a prolonged period stops or reduces intake and then develops at least two of a specific set of signs within hours to a few days. These signs include autonomic hyperactivity (such as sweating or a rapid pulse), tremor, insomnia, nausea or vomiting, transient visual, tactile, or auditory hallucinations, psychomotor agitation, anxiety, and sometimes seizures. Requiring two symptoms helps ensure the presentation reflects a true withdrawal syndrome rather than a single, nonspecific symptom. If two or more of these signs occur, the condition meets the criterion for alcohol withdrawal; more symptoms can indicate greater severity but the minimum remains two.