UP NHM CHO 7 Sept 2022(shift-1st)
Medical & Surgical Nursing
Easy
Which is the commonest cause of Amnestic syndrome?
Appeared in: UP NHM CHO 7 Sept 2022(shift-1st)
Explanation
- The most common cause of amnestic syndrome is a deficiency in Thiamine (Vitamin B1).
- This condition is classically associated with chronic alcohol use, leading to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
- Wernicke's encephalopathy represents the acute phase (with symptoms like confusion, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia), which can progress to Korsakoff's syndrome, the chronic phase defined by severe anterograde and retrograde amnesia and confabulation.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option B: Alzheimer's disease causes dementia, which is a global decline in multiple cognitive areas (memory, language, problem-solving), not an isolated memory impairment characteristic of amnestic syndrome.
- Option C: While a concussion (a form of traumatic brain injury) can cause post-traumatic amnesia, it is not the most common cause of a chronic, persistent amnestic syndrome like Korsakoff's.
- Option D: Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) can damage the hippocampus and cause amnesia, for example, after cardiac arrest or carbon monoxide poisoning. However, it is less common as a cause of amnestic syndrome compared to thiamine deficiency.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: Knowing Etiology of Amnestic Syndrome helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
- Nurses play a crucial role in identifying patients at risk for thiamine deficiency, such as those with a history of chronic alcohol abuse, malnutrition, or recent bariatric surgery.
- Early recognition of Wernicke's encephalopathy (confusion, ataxia, ophthalmoplegia) and prompt administration of intravenous thiamine is a critical nursing intervention to prevent the development of irreversible Korsakoff's syndrome.
- What if? If a patient with chronic alcoholism presents with confusion and unsteady gait but memory is still intact, the immediate concern is acute Wernicke's encephalopathy, not amnestic syndrome. The priority action is advocating for immediate IV thiamine to prevent progression to the chronic amnestic state.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the key term in the question: 'Amnestic syndrome'. Recall its definition as a disorder primarily affecting memory while other cognitive functions are preserved.
- Next, focus on the keyword 'commonest cause'. This requires you to recall the most frequent etiology from your knowledge base.
- Evaluate each option against the definition of amnestic syndrome.
- Recognize that 'Vitamin deficiency,' specifically Thiamine (B1), is the classic cause of Korsakoff's syndrome, a primary type of amnestic syndrome.
- Differentiate this from Alzheimer's, which is the most common cause of dementia (a global cognitive decline), not isolated amnestic syndrome.
- Eliminate concussion and hypoxia as they are possible but less common causes of the chronic syndrome compared to thiamine deficiency.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Etiology of Amnestic Syndrome
- Stem keywords: commonest cause, Amnestic syndrome
- Lead-in keywords: Which is
Question ID
QsFOMcl3Ny-sQt0SSMx_1g
Reference Book
E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) pp. 800-802, 804-806
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 4013-4015
Practise the full UP NHM CHO 7 Sept 2022(shift-1st)
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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