That’s why rescue workers are taught to always give thiamine before food to victims who had been trapped or otherwise unable to eat.4106 Thiamine is responsible for the yellow color of “banana bags,” a term you might have heard used on medical dramas, used to describe an IV fluid concoction often given to malnourished alcoholics to prevent a similar reaction.4107 Anyone with negligible food intake for more than five days may be at risk of developing refeeding problems.4108
