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Alcohol Withdrawal Scales
Abbreviation Scale Name Brief Description Primary Use
LARS Luebeck Alcohol-
Withdrawal Risk
Scale
11 items
10 items
Risk of severe
withdrawal
MINDS Minnesota
Detoxification
Scale
9 items Symptom Severity
PAWSS Prediction
of Alcohol
Withdrawal
Severity Scale
10 items Risk of severe
withdrawal
RASS Richmond
Agitation-Sedation
Scale
One item. Scored on
a continuum with +4
(combative), 0 (alert
and calm), and -5
(unarousable)
Sedation and
agitation
SAWS Short Alcohol
Withdrawal Scale
10-items
Scored 0–3
Designed to be self-
administered
Withdrawal
severity
SEWS Severity of Ethanol
Withdrawal Scale
7 items
Scored 0–3
Withdrawal
severity
SHOT Sweating,
Hallucinations,
Orientation, and
Tremor
4-items
Range 0–10
Withdrawal
severity
WAS Withdrawal
Assessment Scale
18 Items
Based on CIWA
Withdrawal
severity
Flowcharts
