Prophylactic Vitamin K Administration in Neonates on Prolonged Antibiotic Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To compare the prevalence of vitamin K deficiency after intramuscular vitamin K or no treatment in neonates with sepsis on prolonged (>7 days) antibiotic therapy.

Open label randomized controlled trial.

Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Neonates with first episode of sepsis on antibiotics for ≥7 days were included. Neonates with clinical bleeding, vitamin K prior to start of antibiotic therapy (except the birth dose), cholestasis or prenatally diagnosed bleeding disorder were excluded.

Randomized to receive 1 mg vitamin K (n=41) or no vitamin K (n=39) on the 7th day of antibiotic therapy.

Vitamin K deficiency defined as Protein Induced by Vitamin K Absence (PIVKA-II) >>2 ng/mL after 7 ± 2 days of enrolment.

The prevalence of vitamin K deficiency was 100% (n=80) at enrolment and it remained 100% even after 7 ± 2 days of enrolment in both the groups.

Neonates receiving prolonged antibiotics have universal biochemical vitamin K deficiency despite vitamin K administration on 7th day of antibiotic therapy.