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SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2016
Psychiatric Nursing
Easy

Korsakoff's syndrome occurs due to the intake of?

Appeared in: SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2016

Explanation

  • Korsakoff's syndrome is a severe memory disorder resulting from brain damage caused by a deficiency in thiamine (Vitamin B1).
  • The most common cause of this thiamine deficiency in developed countries is chronic, excessive alcohol consumption.
  • Alcohol interferes with the absorption of thiamine from the gut and can lead to a diet poor in essential nutrients, compounding the deficiency.
  • The syndrome is often the chronic, irreversible phase that follows an acute episode of Wernicke's encephalopathy.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Cannabis use is not associated with the specific thiamine deficiency that causes Korsakoff's syndrome. Its primary effects are on short-term memory, coordination, and perception.
  • Option B: Opium and other opioids do not cause Korsakoff's syndrome. Neurological damage from opioids is typically related to hypoxic brain injury during an overdose, not thiamine deficiency.
  • Option D: Amphetamine use does not lead to the thiamine deficiency characteristic of Korsakoff's syndrome. Chronic amphetamine use is more commonly associated with stimulant-induced psychosis, cardiovascular problems, and severe dental issues ('meth mouth').

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Knowing Etiology of Korsakoff's Syndrome helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
  • A key nursing responsibility is to identify patients at risk for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS), primarily those with a history of alcohol use disorder, and to advocate for prophylactic thiamine.
  • The administration of thiamine BEFORE glucose is a critical patient safety measure. Giving glucose first can precipitate or worsen Wernicke's encephalopathy by depleting the last reserves of thiamine for glucose metabolism.
  • What if? If a malnourished patient with alcohol use disorder presents with confusion and is immediately started on a dextrose IV drip without thiamine, their neurological status could rapidly decline, leading to irreversible brain damage or death. The correct first step is always thiamine administration.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the key term in the question: 'Korsakoff's syndrome'.
  • Access your knowledge base regarding neurological disorders related to substance use.
  • Recall that Korsakoff's syndrome is specifically linked to a deficiency of thiamine (Vitamin B1).
  • Connect the thiamine deficiency to its most common cause, which is chronic alcohol abuse.
  • Evaluate the given options. 'Alcohol' is the only substance listed that is directly and commonly associated with causing the conditions that lead to Korsakoff's syndrome.
  • Eliminate the other options by recalling their primary neurological or psychological effects, which differ from the specific amnestic-confabulatory nature of Korsakoff's.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Etiology of Korsakoff's Syndrome
  • Stem keywords: Korsakoff's syndrome, intake
  • Lead-in keywords: occurs due to
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QJFhiUIXyLapJte0BlIkfa

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 4236-4238, 4170-4172

E6 Guide to Mental Health & PSYCHIATRIC NURSING R Sreevani— Part 2 (pp 290-564 of 579) p. 20-22

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