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Will an orange a day keep the doctor away?
T I L Richardson1, L Ball, T Rosenfeld
1Department of Geriatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. tristan.richardson@rbch-tr.swest.nhs.uk
Postgraduate Medical Journal
|August 2, 2002
Summary
Elderly patients, particularly those receiving home meal services, are at high risk for vitamin C deficiency and scurvy. Early detection is crucial as clinical signs are often minimal.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Home-delivered meal services are vital for elderly nutrition.
- Scurvy, a disease of vitamin C deficiency, can present with non-specific symptoms in older adults.
- Undernutrition is a common concern in the elderly population.
Observation:
- An 80-year-old man relying on a meals-on-wheels service was hospitalized with scurvy.
- A subsequent audit of 37 new admissions revealed high rates of vitamin C deficiency.
- 73% of new admissions had hypovitaminosis C, with 30% showing biochemical evidence of scurvy.
Findings:
- Vitamin C deficiency was prevalent across various accommodation types, food provisions, and age groups.
- Anorexia was the most frequent symptom linked to vitamin C deficiency.
- Clinical signs of vitamin C deficiency were notably absent in many cases.
Implications:
- Highlights the need for routine vitamin C screening in elderly patients, especially those with limited dietary support.
- Suggests that traditional clinical signs of scurvy may be unreliable in the elderly.
- Underscores the importance of nutritional support and monitoring for vulnerable elderly populations to prevent deficiency diseases.
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