COMMENTARY Time to Act on the Inadequate Management of Wernicke’s Encephalopathy in the UK
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چکیده
Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) is a serious medical emergency whose pathogenesis is well understood and reviewed in this paper. Summarizing the evidence for its prophylaxis and management, the authors suggest that, in the UK, there is evidence that many patients identified as being at risk of WE currently do not receive appropriate treatment, despite the availability (not universal) of guidelines and protocols. See related paper in this Issue: Rees E & Gowing LR (2013) Supplementary thiamine is still important in alcohol dependence. Alcohol Alcohol 48: 88–92. Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) is the acute phase of a potentially fatal disorder resulting from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency (Harper et al., 1986; Thomson et al., 2002). If left untreated, WE can have serious neurological consequences that can lead to long-term institutionalization or even death (Thomson et al., 2002). WE is medical emergency (Thomson et al., 2009) that is reversible with timely administration of appropriate treatment (Thomson et al., 2002). We review current knowledge on WE and its management and highlight shortcomings in the current management of WE in the UK, discussing possible changes that could improve diagnosis and outcomes.
منابع مشابه
BNF response to 'BNF recommendations for the treatment of Wernicke's encephalopathy: lost in translation?'.
Korsakoff’s syndrome revisited. Neuropsychol Rev 22:69–71. Thomson AD, Cook CCH, Guerrini I et al. (2008) Wernicke’s encephalopathy: plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose. Alcohol Alcohol 43:180–6. Thomson AD, Guerrini I, Marshall EJ. (2012) The evolution and treatment of Korsakoff’s syndrome. Neuropsychol Rev 22:81–92. Thomson AD, Marshall EJ, Bell D. (2013) Time to act on the inadequate ma...
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Background: ″Wernicke’s Korsakoff″ syndrome is the most important complication of severe thiamine deficiency. The term refers to two different syndromes, each representing a different stage of the disease. Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) is an acute syndrome requiring emergent treatment to prevent death and neurologic morbidity. Korsakoff syndrome (KS) refers to a chronic neurologic condition th...
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تاریخ انتشار 2012