Vitamin A assay in burned patients

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Gastroenterology
• Trauma Medicine

Background:

• Acute stress and severe burns can impact nutritional status.
• Hypovitaminosis A is a potential complication in critically ill patients.
• Gastrointestinal complications, such as stress ulcers, are common in burn victims.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between serum vitamin A levels and acute gastrointestinal stress erosions in burn patients.
• To determine if hypovitaminosis A is a contributing factor to gastric mucosal damage following severe burns.

Main Methods:

• Serum vitamin A levels were measured in 31 burn patients at Vancouver General Hospital (1972-1973).
• Patients were categorized based on burn index severity.
• Serum vitamin A levels were compared between patients with and without gastrointestinal bleeding and stress ulcers.

Main Results:

• Serum vitamin A levels decreased with increasing burn index.
• A significant fall in vitamin A was observed within 48 hours postburn, normalizing by the second week.
• Patients with severe burns, gastrointestinal bleeding, and stress ulcers exhibited more profound drops in serum vitamin A (e.g., to 18 mug/100 ml).
• Three out of four patients with gastrointestinal bleeding had acute gastric erosions and low serum vitamin A.

Conclusions:

• Hypovitaminosis A may be a contributing factor in the development of acute gastric erosions in severely burned patients.
• Monitoring vitamin A levels in burn patients could be important for preventing gastrointestinal complications.