QUESTION.
An alcoholic is brought to the Emergency OPD with the complaint of irrelevant talking. He had stopped using alcohol three days back. On examination, he is found to be disoriented to time, place and person. He also has visual illusions and hallucinations. ‘There is no history of head injury. The most likely diagnosis is:
1. Dementia praecox.
2. Delirium tremens.
3. Schizophrenia.
4. Korsakoff’s psychosis.



Answer
2. Delirium tremens.

Reference
A Short Textbook of Psychiatry by Ahuja 4 ed Page 36

Quality
Reader

Status
Repeat (from the same question paper !!!)

QTDF
Ahuja

Discussion
Please go through the Discussion on Delirium Tremens. You will find that all the features mentioned in the Question are there as features of Alcohol Withdrawal and to add to the clue is the fact that the patient is an known alcoholic and he has stopped taking alcohol for the past 3 days

Explanation
1. Dementia praecox is the old name of Schizophrenia.
2. Delirium tremens is the correct answer as explained above.
3. A patient of Schizophrenia will not be disoriented to time place and person.
4. Korsakoff’s psychosis occurs after USING ALCOHOL and not after abstaining from Alcohol.

Comments
Read the relevant chapters on Alcoholic and other Addictive substances with special emphasis on the Toxicity as well as Withdrawal Symptoms

Tips
Questions like these which are straight and easy are nowadays very rare. Though this is a simple question, I have to warn you that if you come across a “simple looking “ question in AIIMS and All India Question Paper, please read it a couple of times more. The chances are that there is a “trap” there