ForYouNews&PerspectiveDrugs&DiseasesCME&EducationAcademyVideoDecisionPointEdition:ENGLISHDEUTSCHESPAÑOLFRANÇAISPORTUGUÊSLogInSignUpIt'sFree!Edition:ENGLISHDEUTSCHESPAÑOLFRANÇAISPORTUGUÊSRegisterLogInNoResultsNoResultsForYouNews&PerspectiveDrugs&DiseasesCME&EducationAcademyVideoDecisionPointclosePleaseconfirmthatyouwouldliketologoutofMedscape.Ifyoulogout,youwillberequiredtoenteryourusernameandpasswordthenexttimeyouvisit.LogoutCancelhttps://profreg.medscape.com/px/getpracticeprofile.do?method=getProfessionalProfile&urlCache=aHR0cDovL2VtZWRpY2luZS5tZWRzY2FwZS5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZS83OTQ1ODMtb3ZlcnZpZXc=processing....Drugs&Diseases>EmergencyMedicineWernickeEncephalopathyUpdated:Nov20,2018Author:PhilipNSalen,MD;ChiefEditor:AndrewKChang,MD,MS more...ShareEmailPrintFeedbackCloseFacebookTwitterLinkedInGoogle+SectionsWernickeEncephalopathySectionsWernickeEncephalopathyOverviewPracticeEssentialsEtiologyEpidemiologyPrognosisPathophysiologyShowAllPresentationHistoryPhysicalExaminationComplicationsShowAllDDxWorkupApproachConsiderationsBiomarkersSerumElectrolyteLevelsImagingStudiesLaboratoryStudiesOtherTestsShowAllTreatmentApproachConsiderationsEmergencyDepartmentCareInpatientandOutpatientCareConsultations,Monitoring,andPreventionComplicationsShowAllGuidelinesMedicationMedicationSummaryNutrientsShowAllQuestions&AnswersReferencesOverviewPracticeEssentialsAnimportantcauseofacuteorsubacutedelirium,Wernickeencephalopathy(WE)isaneurologicaldisorderinducedbythiamine,vitaminB1,deficiency. WEisthemostimportantencephalopathyduetoasinglevitamindeficiency. WEpresentswiththeclassictriadofocularfindings,cerebellardysfunction,andconfusion.[1] KorsakoffamnesticsyndromeisalateneuropsychiatricmanifestationofWEwithmemorylossandconfabulation;sometimes,theconditionisreferredtoas Wernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome (WKS)orWernicke-Korsakoffpsychosis.Thiaminedeficiencyischaracteristicallyassociatedwithchronicalcoholism,becausealcoholaffectsthiamineuptakeandutilization.However,WEmaydevelopinnonalcoholicconditions,such