Vitamin A Deficiency Follow-up

  • Author: George Ansstas, MD; Chief Editor: George T Griffing, MD   more...
 
Updated: Dec 28, 2010
 

Further Inpatient Care

  • Patients with VAD seldom need to be admitted to the hospital unless they also have a serious associated condition. Patients with sepsis, severe dehydration, and/or metabolic derangements should be admitted to the hospital.
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Further Outpatient Care

  • Follow-up care with a primary care physician is recommended.
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Inpatient & Outpatient Medications

  • Patients should take oral vitamin A at prescribed doses until the deficiency resolves.
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Deterrence/Prevention

  • Liver, beef, chicken, eggs, whole milk, fortified milk, carrots, mangoes, orange fruits, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, and other green vegetables are among foods rich in vitamin A.
  • Eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day is recommended in order to provide a comprehensive distribution of carotenoids.
  • A variety of foods, such as breakfast cereals, pastries, breads, crackers, and cereal grain bars, are often fortified with 10-15% of the RDA of vitamin A.
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Prognosis

  • Prognosis is good if patients are treated when the deficiency is subclinical.
  • Morbidity increases once blindness has progressed or an infection has been acquired.
  • Irreversible conditions include punctate keratopathy, keratomalacia, and corneal perforation.
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Patient Education

  • Eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day is recommended in order to provide a comprehensive distribution of carotenoids.
  • Patients may visit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website for more information (see Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin A and Carotenoids).
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

George Ansstas, MD  Chief Resident, Department of Internal Medicine, St Louis University Hospital; Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, St Louis University

George Ansstas, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Jigna Thakore, MD  Fellow, Department of Gastroenterology, Dayton Veterans Administration Medical Center

Jigna Thakore, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Gastroenterology and American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

N Gopalswamy, MD  Chairman, Professor of Internal Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Wright State University/Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Udaya M Kabadi, MD  Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Romesh Khardori, MD, PhD  Professor and Director, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Romesh Khardori, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Physicians, American Diabetes Association, American Federation for Medical Research, American Medical Association, American Society of Andrology, Endocrine Society, and Illinois State Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP  Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, and Society of General Internal Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

George T Griffing, MD  Professor of Medicine, St Louis University School of Medicine

George T Griffing, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Medical Practice Executives, American College of Physician Executives, American College of Physicians, American Diabetes Association, American Federation for Medical Research, American Heart Association, Central Society for Clinical Research, Endocrine Society, International Society for Clinical Densitometry, and Southern Society for Clinical Investigation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

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