Hypovitaminosis D in Long-Stay Hospitalized Patients in
Songklanagarind Hospital
DARUNEEWAN WARODOMWICHIT, M.D.*, RATIANA LEELAWATIANA,M.D.*,
NIWAT LUANSENG, M.D.*, NATA WAN THAMMAKUMPEE, B.Sc.*
Affiliation : *Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Songklanagarind Hospital, Prince of Songkla University,
Songkhla 90112, Thailand.
AbstractThe major source of vitamin D is endogenous synthesis under sunlight exposure, thus,
vitamin D deficiency is uncommon in healthy people living in a tropical area where sunshine is
plentiful. However, long-stay hospitalized patients who do not get direct sunlight may become vitamin
D deficient. The authors studied the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients without other risk
factors for vitamin D deficiency who had been admitted to Songklanagarind Hospital for longer than
27 days. The second objective was to identify predictive factors for vitamin D deficiency. Considered
variables were clinical character, basic laboratory results, and intact parathyroid hormone level (iPTH).
Among 60 patients studied, there were 12 patients who were vitamin D deficient and only one had a
level lower than 8 ng/ml. Despite vitamin D deficiency, average serum calcium was normal. Patients
in the vitamin D deficient group had lower serum corrected calcium and higher iPTH level than
patients in the vitamin D sufficient group. No other clinical or laboratory data could predict a vitamin
D deficiency state. In summary, the present tropical area study showed that 20 per cent of long-stay
hospitalized patients who had a mild degree of vitamin D deficiency and 1.7 per cent had severe
vitamin D deficit. Vitamin D supplementation is unnecessary in this group of patients.
Keywords : Vitamin D Deficiency, Hospitalized Patients
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