Thiamine deficiency
Background
- Most common cause: chronic alcohol abuse
- Other causes: malabsorption, hemodialysis, chronic protein-calorie undernutrition
- IV dextrose can precipitate in patients with marginal thiamine stores
Clinical Features
- Early/mild features:
- Anorexia
- Muscle cramps
- Paresthesias
- Irritability
- Advanced/severe deficiency
- See beriberi
- See Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Differential Diagnosis
Ethanol related disease processes
Vitamin deficiencies
- Vitamin A deficiency
- Vitamin B deficiencies
- Vitamin B1 deficiency (Thiamine)
- Vitamin B3 deficiency (Pellagra)
- Vitamin B9 deficiency (Folate)
- Vitamin B7 deficiency (Biotin)
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Vitamin C deficiency (Scurvy)
- Vitamin D deficiency (Rickets)
- Vitamin E deficiency
- Vitamin K deficiency
Evaluation
- Clinical diagnosis
Management
- Thiamine 50–100 mg IV for first few days, followed by 5-10mg PO daily
- Replete other vitamins/electrolytes that may also be depleted (i.e. banana bag)
- Replete thiamine before giving IV dextrose!
Prevention
Vitamin Prophylaxis for Chronic alcoholics
- At risk for thiamine deficiency, but no symptoms: thiamine 100mg PO q day
- Give multivitamin PO; patient at risk for other vitamin deficiencies
Banana bag
The majority of chronic alcoholics do NOT require a banana bag[1][2]
- Thiamine 100mg IV
- Folate 1mg IV (cheaper PO)
- Multivitamin 1 tab IV (cheaper PO)
- Magnesium sulfate 2mg IV
- Normal saline as needed for hydration
See Also
References
- Krishel, S, et al. Intravenous Vitamins for Alcoholics in the Emergency Department: A Review. The Journal of Emergency Medicine. 1998; 16(3):419–424.
- Li, SF, et al. Vitamin deficiencies in acutely intoxicated patients in the ED. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2008; 26(7):792–795.
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