Publication:

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in burn patients: an observational study

Background Burns are one of the most common and devastating forms of trauma in life. Patients with serious thermal injury require immediate specialized care in order to minimize morbidity and mortality. Thermal injury creates a breach in the surface of the skin. It is difficult to evaluate the immediate effects of burn injury on serum levels of vitamin D metabolites because the binding proteins for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the main circulating form of the vitamin, and for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) are low.

Methods This study is a cross-sectional study. It was carried out in burn ward of Government medical college Jammu during June to November 2020. 52 burn patients of both sexes and all age groups were enrolled in this study.

Results Fifty-two patients were evaluated in this study including 36 males and 16 females. In second degree superficial burns the mean level of 25(OH)D was 13.60 ng/ml (SD=7.27) ,in second degree deep burns the mean level of 25(OH)D was 13.88 ng/ml (SD=7.03) and in third degree burns the mean level of 25(OH)D was 14.71 ng/ml (SD=7.08).

Conclusions Based on the results of this study, we can conclude that 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are low in patients after acute burns, and these patients should be given vitamin D sup­plementation.