Burns and Burn Injury Q 73

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Which vitamin deficiency is most likely to be a long-term consequence of a full-thickness burn injury?

  

    A. Vitamin A

    B. Vitamin B

    C. Vitamin C

    D. Vitamin D

    

    

Correct Answer: D. Vitamin D

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Skin exposed to sunlight activates vitamin D. Partial-thickness burns reduce the activation of vitamin D. Activation of vitamin D is lost completely in full-thickness burns. The loss of healthy skin following a burn injury can decrease epidermal vitamin D production. Additionally, low vitamin D levels have been reported to have continued for 7 years post-burn in pediatric outpatients.

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Option A: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a highly prevalent health concern associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, mostly affecting young children in impoverished regions throughout the world. Insufficient intake of absorption leads to deficiency and compromise of essential physiologic processes.

Option B: Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to hematologic and neurological symptoms. Vitamin B12 is stored in excess in the liver, decreasing the likelihood of deficiency. However, in cases in which vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed, for example, due to dietary insufficiency, malabsorption, or lack of intrinsic factor, hepatic stores are depleted, and deficiency ensues.

Option C: Vitamin C deficiency, also known as scurvy, is a disease primarily associated with socioeconomic status and access to food. Signs and symptoms are often readily visible in individuals who develop this disease. The classic constellation of corkscrew hairs, perifollicular hemorrhage, and gingival bleeding is highly suggestive of vitamin C deficiency.

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