The CIWA-Ar Score is a scale used in the management of alcohol withdrawal.

This is a validated scoring system that has high inter-rater reliability.

Saitz et al showed that using the CIWA-Ar scoring system along with symptom-triggered treatment protocol, it is possible to shorten benzodiazepine treatment duration to 9 hrs from 68 hrs in a fixed-schedule benzodiazepine group (P < .001).
The symptom-triggered group received markedly less benzodiazepine than the fixed-schedule group, with no significant differences in the severity of withdrawal during treatment or in the incidence of seizures or delirium tremens.

Reference

Sullivan JT et al.
Assessment of alcohol withdrawal: the revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Scale (CIWA-Ar).
Br J Addict. 1989 Nov;84(11):1353-7.

Saitz M, Mayo-Smith MF, Redmond HA, Bernard DR, Calkins DR.
Individualized treatment for alcohol withdrawal. A randomized double-blind controlled trial.
JAMA 1994;272:519-23.