Study of Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hypovitaminosis C in Long Term Care Unit (Vitamin C)

The clinical finding of skin rashes which appear after a vitamin C deficiency in Long Term Care Unit leads us to believe that the institutional diet could predispose to this kind of deficiency. Vitamin C has a key role into the struggle against oxidant stress and is involved into the connective tissue formation of the skin and the vascular endothelium. Vitamin C deficiency affects currently 15 to 25% of the elderly over 65 years old reaching 15% women and 20% men after 65 according to Johnston and Al. It concerns mainly the people in precarious situations (persons without fixed homes, ethyl-smoking persons) and elderly over 65 years. Hypovitaminosis C, defined by plasma level between 5 mg/L and 15 mg/L (28.41 to 85.23 µmol/L), is currently undiagnosed, especially with people with a risk of food deficiency and its prevalence increases with age. The treatment consists of a daily oral supplementation of 1 gram of vitamin C/d for 15 days. A minimum intake of 10 mg/D of vitamin C is required to prevent scurvy and maintain a total pool of 350 mg. A diet modification by a systematic intake of 2 glasses of fresh orange juice and/or the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables would prevent the appearance of scurvy.

Vitamine C deficiency, skin rash, scurvy, food texture, geriatric institution, Unit Of Long Term Care

A blood sample will be taken by the nurse of our unit within a week after their consent. It consists as a simple blood sample and it will be taken during the normal analysis planed by the chief of the service in order to avoid to collect two different samples. The measurement method will use equipment from the Lyon Sud hospital laboratory. The samples need a pre-treatment in the 3 hours after taking the blood to avoid the oxidation of vitamin C and a result lower than expected.

) Collection of the consent ) At the same time as other analysis for current cares a blood sample taken by a nurse of our unit to determine plasma levels of vitamin C. ) Registration of risk factors of vitamin C deficiency. . ) Doing a clinical exam within 7 days after the blood sample.

The supposed risk factors are represent by general risk factors, Anthropometric parameters, Nutritional risk factors, Risk factors because of Unit of Long Term Care, Pathologies associated, Clinical signs associated with vitamin C deficiency

Inclusion Criteria: Male or female over 65 years old living in the Unit of Long Term Care without any limit time. with a system of social insurance Who gave its consent by his own , or with help of his representant or his tutor or curator. Exclusion Criteria: rejection of the blood sample patient feeding with articial nutritional feeding (stomach tube feeding) person close to death, who is not able to feed himself and / or with life-threatening in short time. Patient with personal history of vitamin C deficiency.