Not Just Drunk- wernicke’s encephalopathy in the ED

The diagnosis of Wernicker's encephalopathy is a elusive beast. The classic triad of altered mental status, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia is, of course, anything but classic in terms of presentation. To make matters worse, the most at-risk population, the chronic alcohol misuser, often have these signs and symptoms for alternative reasons. In this podcast we discuss diagnosing Wernicke's in the alcoholic.

 

Check out our post on the Down East EM blog for shownotes, references, and more.

 

Author: Jason Hine MD

Peer Review: Jeff Holmes MD