Wet beriberi — DTM&H MCQ

Correct answer: C — Thiamine deficiency

Thiamine deficiency is the single best answer because wet beriberi from thiamine deficiency causes high-output cardiac failure and neuropathy. Niacin deficiency is plausible in a related presentation, but it is less appropriate because it does not fit the key discriminator in this vignette. The teaching point is that treatment should not wait for laboratory confirmation when the syndrome is suspected.

Reference: WHO guideline updates on malnutrition and micronutrients; Manson's Tropical Diseases