Factors associated with high-dose parenteral thiamine prescription in alcohol-related inpatients at non-psychiatric wards in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) can result from thiamine deficiency caused by alcohol consumption. To prevent WKS, a high-dose parenteral thiamine (HPT) prescription is advised. The goal of this study was to look into the rate and form of thiamine prescriptions as well as the factors that were linked to HPT prescriptions in alcohol-related inpatients.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analytic research study was conducted on alcohol-related inpatients in a tertiary care hospital from January to May 2020. The data was gathered through retrospective chart review. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.
Chi-square analysis and logistic regression were used to determine the factor association.
Results: The sample was 391. The rate of thiamine prescription was 78.0%, 75.7% intravenous, and 20.7% for HPT. Medical ward admission [Adjusted odds ratio 5.478 (95% CI, p-value 0.001)], intensive care unit admission [Adjusted odds ratio 9.631 (95% CI, p-value 0.001)], and a length of stay of at least 7 days [Adjusted odds ratio 2.412 (95% CI, p-value = 0.006)] were among the factors associated with HPT prescription.
Conclusions: Patients in medical wards and intensive care units, as well as those who stay longer than 7 days, are more likely to receive HPT. However, the percentage of inpatients who received HPT to prevent WKS was low. Therefore, physicians caring for alcohol-related patients should consider more HPT administration.