Open AccessIs a decrease in activities of daily living in the elderly irreversible? A case report of Wernicke encephalopathy in home medical care
Author(s) -
Onizawa Nobuyuki,
Ishida Mayumi,
Uchida Nozomu,
Sato Izumi,
Yoshioka Akira,
Ito Hiroshi,
Onishi Hideki
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of general and family medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2189-7948
DOI - 10.1002/jgf2.523
Subject(s) - medicine , thiamine , wernicke encephalopathy , stairs , delirium , wernicke's encephalopathy , activities of daily living , nursing homes , climb , encephalopathy , poor appetite , pediatrics , thiamine deficiency , physical therapy , intensive care medicine , appetite , nursing , civil engineering , aerospace engineering , engineering
The patient was an 83‐year‐old male who, after being hospitalized for 70 days for suffocation due to aspiration, was provided with home medical care (HMC) as his physical condition did not allow him to climb stairs. Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) was suspected based on his disorientation and a continued loss of appetite. This diagnosis was supported by abnormal serum thiamine and the disappearance of delirium after thiamine administration. In addition, he became able to use stairs. Patients who receive HMC should undergo active screening and receive treatment with WE in mind.