Vitamin C deficiency in a university teaching hospital.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey with prospective follow-up in a single hospital cohort
PubMed 18838532 · doi:10.1080/07315724.2008.10719721
What was done
Plasma vitamin C concentrations were measured shortly after admission in 149 acute medical patients at a Canadian university teaching hospital and in a reference group of 141 presumably well-nourished individuals. Predictors of deficiency were assessed, and vitamin C concentrations were re-evaluated in a subgroup of 52 patients after an average hospital stay of 17 days.
What was found
In the reference group, 13% had subnormal vitamin C (<28.4 micromol/L) and 3% were deficient (<11.4 micromol/L). Among hospitalized patients, 60% had subnormal levels and 19% were deficient. Deficiency was predicted by male sex, low serum albumin, a history of inadequate nutrition, or lack of prior vitamin supplementation, whereas prior supplement use protected against deficiency. In 52 patients reassessed after an average of 17 days, plasma vitamin C status showed no improvement.
Why it matters
Hypovitaminosis C is common among acute medical inpatients and does not resolve spontaneously during standard hospitalization without targeted nutritional support or supplementation.
Limits
Single-center study with a modest sample size. Longitudinal follow-up was limited to only 52 of the initial 149 patients. The abstract does not provide exact odds ratios or risk estimates for the reported predictors, nor does it report clinical outcomes linked to deficiency.
Cited by
- supports A cross-sectional study of 149 patients admitted to a teaching hospital found that 60% had low vitamin C levels and 19% were deficient at levels approaching scurvy.