Vitamin C depletion and pressure sores in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture

OBJECTIVE--To evaluate the contribution of specific nutritional deficiencies (as indicated by zinc; vitamin A, C, and E; albumin; and haemoglobin concentrations) to the risk of pressure sores. DESIGN--Observational cohort study. SETTING--St James's University Hospital, Leeds. SUBJECTS--21 elder...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ 1992-10, Vol.305 (6859), p.925-927
Main Authors: Goode, H. F., Burns, E., Walker, B. E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Albumins
ascorbic acid
Ascorbic Acid Deficiency - complications
Biological and medical sciences
Blood plasma
Cohort Studies
elderly
Female
Femoral neck fractures
Femoral Neck Fractures - complications
hemoglobin
hospitals
Humans
lesions
Leukocytes
Leukocytes - chemistry
Male
Medical sciences
Metabolic diseases
muscles
Nutritional deficiencies
Older adults
Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...)
Pressure ulcer
Pressure Ulcer - etiology
Risk Factors
Vitamin A
Vitamin A Deficiency - complications
Vitamin C
vitamin deficiencies
vitamin E
Vitamin E Deficiency - complications
Zinc
Zinc - deficiency
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:OBJECTIVE--To evaluate the contribution of specific nutritional deficiencies (as indicated by zinc; vitamin A, C, and E; albumin; and haemoglobin concentrations) to the risk of pressure sores. DESIGN--Observational cohort study. SETTING--St James's University Hospital, Leeds. SUBJECTS--21 elderly patients presenting consecutively to the orthopaedic unit with femoral neck fracture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Full thickness epidermal break over a pressure bearing surface. RESULTS--10 patients (48%) developed a pressure sore during their hospital stay. Indices of zinc status and concentrations of albumin, haemoglobin, and vitamins A and E were similar in patients who developed a pressure sore and those who did not. Mean leucocyte vitamin C concentration, however, was 6.3 (SD 2.2) micrograms/10(8) cells in patients who developed a pressure sore as compared with 12.8 (4.6) micrograms/10(8) cells in patients who did not. CONCLUSIONS--Low concentrations of leucocyte vitamin C appear to be associated with subsequent development of pressure sores in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures.
ISSN:0959-8138
0959-8146
1468-5833
1756-1833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.305.6859.925