Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
The COW scale is a verified tool for clinical assessment of acute opiate - withdrawal syndrome and as helpful as the CINA Questionnaire. It was published in 2003 by Donald R. Wesson and Walter Ling and contains eleven questions about the patient's current condition. A PDF version of the questionnaire may be available. a. from the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute or the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). In the USA the questionnaire is used by practicing physicians to get a first impression of the severity of the condition.
Assessment of the total number of points
- 5–12: mild withdrawal syndrome
- 13–24: moderate withdrawal syndrome
- 25–36: moderate to severe withdrawal syndrome
- over 36: severe withdrawal syndrome
If the score is 25 or more, it is recommended that specialist doctors be consulted.
Individual evidence
- ^ DA Tompkins et al .: Concurrent validation of the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) and single-item indices against the Clinical Institute Narcotic Assessment (CINA) opioid withdrawal instrument . In: Drug Alcohol Depend. , 2009 Nov 1.105 (1-2), pp. 154-159, Epub 2009 Aug 3., PMID 19647958
- ^ DR Wesson, W. Ling: The Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) . In: J Psychoactive Drugs. , 2003,35, pp. 253-259, PMID 12924748 .
- ↑ Appendix VI - Guidance on the Use of Buprenorphine in HIV-Infected Patients ; Table C ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF)
- ↑ COWS: Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
- ↑ Recommended guidelines from Anthem Blue Cross (PDF; 48 kB)
