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. 1992 Oct 17;305(6859):925-7.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.305.6859.925.

Vitamin C depletion and pressure sores in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture

H F Goode  1 , E Burns, B E Walker
Affiliations

Vitamin C depletion and pressure sores in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture

H F Goode et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the contribution of specific nutritional deficiencies (as indicated by zinc; vitamin A, C, and E; albumin; and haemoglobin concentrations) to the risk of pressure sores.

Design: Observational cohort study.

Setting: St James's University Hospital, Leeds.

Subjects: 21 elderly patients presenting consecutively to the orthopaedic unit with femoral neck fracture.

Main outcome measure: Full thickness epidermal break over a pressure bearing surface.

Results: 10 patients (48%) developed a pressure sore during their hospital stay. Indices of zinc status and concentrations of albumin, haemoglobin, and vitamins A and E were similar in patients who developed a pressure sore and those who did not. Mean leucocyte vitamin C concentration, however, was 6.3 (SD 2.2) micrograms/10(8) cells in patients who developed a pressure sore as compared with 12.8 (4.6) micrograms/10(8) cells in patients who did not.

Conclusions: Low concentrations of leucocyte vitamin C appear to be associated with subsequent development of pressure sores in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures.

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Comment in

  • Vitamin C depletion and pressure sores.
    Skeil DA, Speed C. Skeil DA, et al. BMJ. 1992 Dec 5;305(6866):1433. doi: 10.1136/bmj.305.6866.1433-a. BMJ. 1992. PMID: 1486317 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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