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Table 3 Summary of opioid withdrawal scales (1938–2018)

From: The past, present and future of opioid withdrawal assessment: a scoping review of scales and technologies

Scale name

Mode of administration

Scale items

Rating criteria

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Citation

Kolb and Himmelsbach Scale

Clinician-administered

14

Points-based

24 h

[33]

Himmelsbach Scale

Clinician-administered

14

Points-based

Hourly or 24 h

[34]

SDQ1 or Fraser Scale

Clinician-administered

Patient-reported

6 (clinician)

4 (patient)

Weighted 5-point scale

15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 min post-drug

[45]

ARCI2

Patient-reported

550

True or False

Immediate feeling

[46]

OPW3

Patient-reported

29

5-point scale

Immediate feeling

[47]

WOW4

Clinician-administered

84

True/False

Immediate feeling

[35]

SOW5

Clinician-administered

80

True/False

Immediate feeling

[35]

Short Form ARCI

Patient-reported

49

True/False

Immediate feeling

[48]

Wang Scale

Clinician-administered

10

Points-based

10, 20, 30 min post injection

[37]

Judson Scale

Clinician-administered and Patient-reported

10 (clinician)

7 (patient)

4-point scale

Prior to zero time, and 10, 20, 30 min post injection

[38]

OWS6

Patient-reported

32

4-point scale

24 h

[39]

SOWS7

Patient-reported

16

5-point scale

Immediate feeling

[40]

OOWS8

Clinician-administered

13

Present/Absent

10-min observation period

[40]

ARSW9

Patient-reported

16

10-point scale

24 h

[42]

CINA10

Clinician-administered

13

Point-based

5, 10, 15 mins post injection

[49]

SOWS-Gossop

Patient-reported

10

4 -point scale

24 h

[43]

SOWQ11

Patient-reported

20

Anchored 100 mm analogue scale

24 h

[44]

COWS12

Clinician-administered

11

Weighted scale

2-min observation period

[19]

  1. 1Single Dose Opiate Questionnaire
  2. 2Addiction Research Center Inventory
  3. 3Opiate Withdrawal Subjective Experience Scale
  4. 4Weak Opiate Withdrawal Scale
  5. 5Strong Opiate Withdrawal Scale
  6. 6Opiate Withdrawal Scale
  7. 7Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale
  8. 8Objective Opiate Withdrawal Scale
  9. 9Adjective Rating Scale for Withdrawal
  10. 10Clinical Institute Narcotic Assessment
  11. 11Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Questionnaire
  12. 12Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale