Wernicke's encephalopathy: a predictable complication of hyperemesis gravidarum.

Wernicke's encephalopathy occurred during prolonged intravenous feeding in two patients with hyperemesis gravidarum. Delay in diagnosis caused a protracted illness and persisting neurologic deficits in both patients. Because of its association with chronic alcoholism, the possibility of Wernicke's encephalopathy may not be considered early enough, if at all, in other situations; it is too frequently not discovered until postmortem examination. The disease may complicate other neurologic disorders due to nutritional deficiency, but can be prevented by the timely administration of parenteral thiamine.