Director Cai and Lu Xuejun hurried to the Emergency Department, where they reviewed the patient's symptoms and the previous examinations from the county hospital.
"Elevated plasma norepinephrine… lethargy and other neurological symptoms…"
Director Cai's initial thought was also alcohol withdrawal syndrome; after all, such cases were quite common.
In Director Cai's experience, the central nervous system of a long-term drinker becomes chronically suppressed. When they suddenly stop or drastically reduce their alcohol intake, their plasma norepinephrine levels spike. This overexcites the sympathetic nervous system, causing the cerebral cortex to lose its inhibitory function. The result is a series of clinical symptoms, including tremors, perceptual disturbances, and convulsions.
