An alcoholic patient, who previously was known to have a normal memory, seems to have lost immediate recall after awakening in the ICU. He does not have a full range of extraocular movement either-his lateral gaze seems paralyzed. Neuroimaging shows no evidence of stroke. The patient likely has a deficiency of which of the following vitamins?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Alcoholics are often malnourished, because they derive a lot of empty caloric intake from alcohol rather than more nutritionally balanced foods. As a result, they may have a variety of vitamin deficiencies. The patient in this question has evidence of Wernicke's encephalopathy and paralysis of his extraocular muscles, both of which are complications of thiamine deficiency.

An Alcoholic Patient, Who Previously Was Known to Have a Normal