Vitamin B deficiency??

An elderly man has been admitted to a medical floor. He has a history of confusion, ataxia, poor food intake, weight loss, and possible alcohol abuse. He is started on intravascular fluids, to which B complex vitamins are added. Explain the rationale for the addition of B vitamins. What symptoms might indicate s B vitamin deficiency? What symptoms in the medical history might represent a B vitamin deficiency?

Sounds like a B1 (thiamine) or B12 deficiency. This is common in patients with an addiction of alcohol - they have low dietary intake of these two due to malnutrition. The neurological symptoms suggest these two. However, B12 tends to be stored and the body has a huge pool that takes much longer to deplete. Also, the symptoms are more suggestive of B1 deficiency: see Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. With B12 may also see megaloblastic anemia, eye problems, parethesias, and glossitis. However you want to treat both because by treating only B1 you may miss B12 symptoms and that can be deadly. Hope this helps.

I would have to say burning of the tongue, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, intermittent constipation and diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, menstrual symptoms, psychological symptoms, and nervous system problems, such as numbness and tingling in the feet and hands. I have iron-deficiancy anemia, and this is very similar to it, so I know from hands on experience.