[Adequacy of the prescription of vitamin D in Primary Care]

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the adequacy of vitamin D treatment based on clinic evidence in a Primary Care Center as well as to analyze some characteristics of the prescriptions made.

Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Primary Care. Patients above 14 years old with vitamin D prescription. Main variable was the therapeutic adequacy with vitamin D compounds (adequacy was considered when there was a clinical indication for treatment and blood vitamin D levels below 20ng/ml). Other clinical variables were collected. Frequency and association measures were used for statistical analysis. Level of statistical significance was considered <0.05.

Results: 430 patients, 346 women (80.5%, 95% CI=77-84). Record of vitamin D values in 216 (50.2%, 95% CI=45-55). Screening/treatment indications in 219 patients (50.9%, 95% CI=46-56), of those in 150 patients vitamin D values were recorded (68.5%, 95% CI=62-75), average (±SD) was 21.22±12ng/ml, deficiency criteria in 86 (57.3%, 95% CI=51-64), insufficiency in 37 (24.7%, 95% CI=19-30) and sufficiency in 27 (18%, 95% CI=13-23). 86 patients (20%, 95% CI=16-24) had treatment indications plus vitamin D deficiency with no differences between genders.

Conclusions: Only 20% of the patients had treatment indications plus vitamin D deficiency. Female predominance. Just over half had indications for screening of serological vitamin D values and/or indications for treatment with vitamin D compounds.

Keywords: Atención Primaria de Salud; Cribado; Primary Health Care; Screening; Terapéutica; Therapeutics; Vitamin D; Vitamina D.