Intravenous nutrition thiamine

In two infants and a 6 year old child who received prolonged intravenous nutrition and MVI (USV Pharm.) at a dose of 1 ml per day, we found that the urinary excretion of unbound thiamine, pyridoxine and riboflavin was extremely high, suggesting that... 

When the alcoholic first presents for treatment, his/her nutritional status should be fully assessed. Vitamin supplementation should always be a component of this treatment. In the emergency room setting, the alcoholic patient usually receives intravenous fluids containing magnesium, thiamine, and multivitamin supplements. The yellow-colored fluid is commonly called a banana bag or rally pack. A daily... 

Inadequate nutrition and conditions which are complicated by malabsorption may lead to thiamine deficiency. Beriberi, a diet-deficiency disease, is especially prevalent in those parts of the East where the diet consists mainly of polished rice. The disease is characterized by neuritis but may also lead to serious heart failure. Recovery is prompt when adequate amounts of vitamin B1 are restored to the diet. Severe deficiency as can occur in alcoholics may lead to Wernicke s encephalopathy, often accompanied by Korsakoff s syndrome. Care should be taken with intravenous substitution with thiamine in these cases to prevent serious complications like vascular collapse with hypotension, respiratory distress or an-gioedema. 

A further consequence of thiamine depletion during parenteral nutrition can be severe lactic acidosis (44). Six cases have been described from Japan with associated hypotension, Kussmaul s respiration, and clouding of consciousness, as well as abdominal pain not directly related to the underlying disease. During parenteral nutrition administration there was blockade of oxidative decarboxylation of alpha-keto acids such as pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate, resulting in pjruvate accumulation and massive lactate production. None of the patients responded to sodium bicarbonate or other conventional emergency treatments for shock and lactic acidosis. Thiamine replenishment with intravenous doses of 100 mg every 12 hours resolved the lactic acidosis and improved the clinical condition of three patients. 

These various reports stress the need to supplement parenteral nutrition with thiamine-containing vitamins unless there is adequate dietary intake, and to monitor serum thiamine and erythrocyte transketolase activity so that supplementary thiamine can be given in good time, if necessary intravenously (45). Giving thiamine will not rectify the various disorders if hepatic function is severely disturbed, because then thiamine is not phosphorylated and hence remains physiologically inactive. 

A 13-year-old boy underwent bone marrow transplantation and received parenteral nutrition without vitamins. After 15 days he had acute life-threatening lactic acidosis refractory to bicarbonate and Tris. Intravenous thiamine 100 mg produced satisfactory clinical and biochemical responses. 

Thiamine, also known as vitamin B, is fairly ubiquitous. Thiamine deficiency is uncommon except in alcoholics as a result of nutritional deficiencies and malabsorption. The classic clinical triad of dementia, ataxia (difficulty with walking), and eye findings may be seen, but more commonly, only forgetfulness is noted. Sometimes, thiamine deficiency can lead to vague symptoms such as leg numbness or tingling. Because thiamine is water soluble, it can be added to intravenous fluids and administered in that way. Other manifestations include beri beri, which is cardiac involvement leading to a high cardiac output, and vasodilation. Affected patients often feel warm and flushed, and they can have heart failure. 

---