Table 2.
Early signs and symptoms of thiamine deficiency |
• Loss of appetite |
• Nausea/vomiting |
• Fatigue, weakness, apathy |
• Giddiness, diplopia |
• Insomnia, anxiety, difficulty in concentration |
• Memory loss |
Later signs and symptoms |
• Classic triad: oculomotor abnormalities, cerebellar dysfunction (ataxia) and confusion |
• Quiet global confusion with disorientation in time/place |
• Confabulation/hallucination |
• Onset of coma |
Operational criteria for Wernicke’s Encephalopathy (Caine et al. 1997): 2 of the following |
• Dietary deficiencies |
• Oculomotor abnormalities |
• Cerebellar dysfunction |
• Either altered mental state or mild memory impairment |
Reproduced with permission from Practical Gastroenterology, June 2009