Title : Vitamin D prescription at discharge in patients (aged 18-55) with fractures undergoing operative management
Abstract:
Introduction:
Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is very prevalent in the UK population. The Government of UK, after conducting a survey, in an official statment in April 2022, stated that 1 in 6 adults and almost 20% of children in the UK have vitamin D levels lower than government recommendations. This quality improvement project found similar findings in the hospital patients and recommended an action plan.
Methods:
We in our study, focussed on 88 patients in the age group of 18-55 years that were admitted for fractures and treated with surgical management. Then we checked if they were having vitamin D. Finally we checked how many were tested for Vitamin D levels and how many where prescribed vitamin D.
Results:
Nearly 60% of total patients were found to have low Vitamin D levels and only 12% of total patients were given Vitamin D at Discharge without our intervention even after having low Vitamin D levels. About 31% patients that were tested and found to have low Vitamin D levels were prescribed Vitamin D after we intervened and prescribed for each one of them. An alarming number of 58% Patients who were tested were found to have low Vitamin D levels were discharged without prescription.
Conclusion:
We can extrapolate from this that vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency is more predominant than adequate levels and very rarely prescribed to fracture patients even after testing and diagnosed to be insufficient. Majority of the General Population are still unaware of the Government recommendations regarding Vitamin D.
Action Plan:
Create awareness among colleagues to prescribe Vitamin D on discharge and create awareness among patients and their relatives regarding the government recommendations and importance of continuing to take vitamin D for their bone health.
