Thiamine Supplements and Brain Swelling
Clinical Study Title:
Early diagnosis of pediatric Wernicke's encephalopathy
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English Summary: |
Encephalopathy,
or brain swelling, in Wernicke’s area can be fatal
if it goes untreated. It is also often not diagnosed
in children. This study examined the rate of encephalopathy
in children and how to identify it early enough and
treat it. A review was done across the literature,
and a total of 31 cases were reviewed. A total of
thirteen of these patients died before the correct
diagnosis was made. Another 16 were completely recovered
with thiamine supplementation. The high rate of death
prior to the diagnosis supports that it is not diagnosed
often enough. Thiamine supplementation is a safe treatment
for this disorder, and should be administered to anyone
showing signs of Wernicke’s encephalopathy. |
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Authors:
Vasconcelos MM. Silva KP. Vidal G. Silva AF. Domingues RC. Berditchevsky
CR.
Institution:
Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro,
Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil.
Country of Publication:
United States
Source:
Pediatric Neurology. 20(4):289-94, 1999 Apr.
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