Treatment
Treatment begins with intravenous or intramuscular injection of thiamine, followed by assessment of central nervous system and metabolic conditions. In the presence of sub-clinical thiamine deficiency, a large dose of sugar (especially glucose) can precipitate the onset of overt encephalopathy; therefore, correcting hypoglycemia should not be attempted before thiamine replenishment. Rehydration to restore blood volume should follow, as needed.
Prognosis depends on severity. When treated early, recovery is normally rapid and complete. Established Wernicke's encephalopathy, by contrast, can have serious long-term consequences, with patients requiring permanent in-patient care.
Read more about this topic: Wernicke's Encephalopathy
Famous quotes containing the word treatment:
“Any important disease whose causality is murky, and for which treatment is ineffectual, tends to be awash in significance.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)
“Our treatment of both older people and children reflects the value we place on independence and autonomy. We do our best to make our children independent from birth. We leave them all alone in rooms with the lights out and tell them, “Go to sleep by yourselves.” And the old people we respect most are the ones who will fight for their independence, who would sooner starve to death than ask for help.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“The treatment of African and African American culture in our education was no different from their treatment in Tarzan movies.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)