Methodology: 3/5
Usefulness: 2/5
Anton RF, et al. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Mar 9;180(5):1-9.
Question and Methods: Blinded randomized control trial comparing gabapentin to placebo in reducing the number of heavy drinking days in alcohol use disorder treatment.
Findings: They found fewer heavy drinking days and more abstinent days with gabapentin, but the effect was seen only in the subgroup with greater alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Limitations: The main limitations were the highly selected sample and high drop-out rate.
Interpretation: The results suggest gabapentin may be beneficial in treating alcohol use disorder, but cannot be directly applied to a typical ED population or those in acute withdrawal.
