A preliminary study of thiamine status in northeastern Thai children with acute diarrhea

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Diarrhea and metabolic acidosis are common pediatric conditions.
• Thiamine deficiency can present with various symptoms, including neurological and metabolic disturbances.
• Assessing thiamine status in critically ill children is important for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of thiamine deficiency in children hospitalized with diarrhea and metabolic acidosis.
• To investigate the relationship between anion gap type and thiamine status in this patient population.

Main Methods:

• A preliminary study involving 14 pediatric patients with diarrhea and metabolic acidosis.
• Patients were categorized into two groups based on anion gap: normal and wide.
• Blood samples were analyzed for thiamine and lactate levels upon admission.

Main Results:

• No thiamine deficiency was detected in the normal anion gap group (n=3).
• In the wide anion gap group (n=11), 18.2% showed evidence of thiamine deficiency.
• Elevated lactate levels were observed in both groups, more frequently in the wide anion gap group.

Conclusions:

• Thiamine deficiency is not prevalent in pediatric patients with diarrhea and normal anion gap metabolic acidosis.
• Thiamine deficiency can occur in children with diarrhea and wide anion gap metabolic acidosis, irrespective of lactic acidosis.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings in a larger cohort.