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Golden opportunity for intervention? Identifying vitamin D deficiency in patients with substance use disorders in hospital

SETTING: Based at a busy city hospital, the alcohol care team is a drug and alcohol specialist service, taking referrals for a wide range of patients with substance use disorders (SUD). OBJECTIVES: Patients with SUD are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency; this relates to frequent fractures and pro...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Smith, E Naomi, Gee, Siobhan, O’Brien, Gerri, Vicente, Pitchy-Ann, Griffith, Rosemary, Patel, Rina, Stapleton, Joshua, Finch, Emily, Shah, Naina, Gaughran, Fiona, Taylor, David, Strang, John, Kalk, Nicola J
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BMJ Publishing Group 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8845314/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35165098
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001484
Descripción
Sumario:SETTING: Based at a busy city hospital, the alcohol care team is a drug and alcohol specialist service, taking referrals for a wide range of patients with substance use disorders (SUD). OBJECTIVES: Patients with SUD are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency; this relates to frequent fractures and proximal myopathy. The coronavirus pandemic brought vitamin D into focus. Local guidelines advise that patients at high risk of vitamin D deficiency are offered replacement. There were no local data on vitamin D deficiency prevalence or any mention of patients with SUD in local vitamin D guidelines. The main aim of this project was to offer vitamin D checks and replacement to all appropriate patients. RESULTS: We collected data on 207 patients, [pilot study (n=50) and two subsequent samples (n=95 and n=62)]. Our pilot study showed that no patients were offered vitamin D testing or replacement. We then offered vitamin D checks to 95 patients. Most had low vitamin D (30 patients were vitamin D deficient and 26 were vitamin D insufficient). We provided vitamin D replacement and follow-up advice. Quality improvement was demonstrated 6 months later. We collected data on a further 62 patients who were all on our current or recent caseload. Following exclusions, nearly half (48%) of patients had had a vitamin D check. Almost all of these (95%) had low vitamin D (60% being classified as deficient). CONCLUSIONS: Patients had not been offered vitamin D replacement despite often having multiple risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D checks (and subsequent replacement) rose in frequency since the outset of this project. Local guidelines should add SUD as a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency. Hospital admission provides a rich opportunity to offer this simple intervention to patients who are often poorly engaged with community services.