Let's get the brain working...kinda TRICKY!

[nurseinthefuture4]

The nurse determines that thiamine replacement therapy was successful after noting normal assessment data for which of the following client systems?

Select one:

A. Respiratory and neurologic

B. Gastrointestinal and urinary

C. Cardiovascular and neurologic

D. Respiratory and renal

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Get the brain working or help you with your homework? This looks like a question copy/pasted from somewhere, and if that's the case, it's potential copyright infringement. What are your thoughts? Gotta give a little to get a little. Not to mention there's always Google.

[nurseinthefuture4]

HAHA..actually it is a question from a quiz that was taken weeks ago. I already know the answer, but it seemed that when I was researching, I found information that didn't specifically go with the choices. I wanted to see what others thought....

[203bravo, MSN, APRN]

My thought is that a thiamine deficiency would have an acute effect on mental and respiratory status and could potentially lead to heart damage.. so in evaluating treatment effectiveness I would have to chose: A. Respiratory and neurologic

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Definitely neourlogic and the heart

particularly high concentrations of thiamine are found in skeletal muscles and in the heart, liver, kidney, and brain In the tissues, thiamine is required for the assembly and proper functioning of several enzymes that are important for the breakdown, or metabolism, of sugar molecules into other types of molecules (i.e., in carbohydrate catabolism). Proper functioning of these thiamine–using enzymes is required for numerous critical biochemical reactions in the body, including the synthesis of certain brain chemicals (i.e., neurotransmitters); production of the molecules making up the cells’ genetic material (i.e., nucleic acids); and production of fatty acids, steroids, and certain complex sugar molecules. In addition, inadequate functioning of the thiamine–using enzymes can interfere with the body’s defense against the damage (i.e., oxidative stress) caused by harmful, highly reactive oxygen molecules called free radicals. (For more information, see the section “Thiamine’s Actions in the Cell.”)

Because thiamine and the thiamine–using enzymes are present in all cells of the body, it would be plausible that inadequate thiamine affects all organ systems; however, the cells of the nervous system and heart seem particularly sensitive to the effects of thiamine deficiency. Therefore, the resulting impairment in the functioning of the thiamine–using enzymes primarily affects the cardiovascular and nervous systems. The classical manifestations of thiamine deficiency–related heart disease include increased blood flow through the vessels in the body, heart failure, and sodium and water retention in the blood. In the brain, thiamine is required both by the nerve cells (i.e., neurons) and by other supporting cells in the nervous system (i.e., glia cells). Thiamine deficiency is the established cause of an alcohol–linked neurological disorder known as Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), but it also contributes significantly to other forms of alcohol–induced brain injury, such as various degrees of cognitive impairment, including the most severe, alcohol–induced persisting dementia (i.e., “alcoholic dementia”). These disorders are discussed in the following sections.

The answer is C

The Role of Thiamine Deficiency in Alcoholic Brain Disease

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Badly-constructed question, because one choice (neuro) appears in two of the answers. The answer is CV and neuro, though.

[NightNurseRN13]

C most definitely

[NuGuyNurse2b]

Just curious, cause I had no idea the answer, at which stage would I would've been able to answer this question? Cause if it's fundamentals or med surg I'm in trouble.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

it's bringing all your knowledge into focus. What do you know about alcoholism? What do you know about Vitamin B and the heart? What do you know about alcoholism and the effects on the body....bring them all together and figure out the answer. I usually rule out 2 of the options right away then I look at the 2 left. Then I think which one is the MOST important....the heart and breathing? NO....vitamin B isn't that important for the respiratory system that would be magnesium....what about the brain? Oh yeah...Wernikies....brain and heart.