Question

A 45-year-old man with a history of alcohol abuse presents with numbness and weakness of the left hand. He states he slept on a bench last night and awoke this morning with the symptoms. Physical examination reveals decreased sensation over the first, second, and thirddigits and a wrist drop. What management is indicated?

Answer 1

Answer: Alcohol neuropathy

Explanation: The 45 year old man has a history of alcohol abuse and for him to sleep off on a bench instead if his bed might be due to the influence of the alcohol he took. Showing that he is still abusing alcohol.

Alcohol neuropathy is a peripheral nerve disorder that occurs in individuals with prolonged duration of alcohol abuse. The consumed alcohol is metabolised and excreted from the body. The metabolism of alcohol has a direct toxic effects on the neurons. An example of the peripheral nerve that can be affected in alcohol neuropathy is the radial nerve which innervates the arm, forearm, wrist and down to the tips of the finger. Therefore, the physical examination of the 45 year old man will reveal:

- decreased sensation over the first second and third digits and

- wrist drop.

Treatment should focus on stopping the alcohol abuse and nutritional replacement therapy. I hope this helps, thanks.

Answer 2

Temporary Paralysis

Step-by-step explanation:

Alcohol can affect frontal lobes of brain that control impulse because alcohol can easily cross blood-brain barrier and may cause temporary paralysis. Consumption of high levels of alcohol affects nervous system and induce paralysis that may be full body or either side of brain. These paralytic symptoms go away with time and restraining from alcohol otherwise this may lead to coma, fully body paralysis and hemiplegia. Physical therapy is often recommended with some other hyper active drugs.

Crucial tests may include in these conditions are thyroid function tests, brain MRI or computed tomography (CT) scan, and/or cerebrospinal fluid analysis.