Vitamin D assessment and precision of clinical referrals: Insights gained from a teaching hospital in southern India.

Autor: Jose A; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India., Binu AJ; Internal Medicine, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India., Cherian KE; Endocrinology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India., Kapoor N; Endocrinology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India., Asha HS; Endocrinology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India., Paul TV; Endocrinology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of postgraduate medicine [J Postgrad Med] 2020 Oct-Dec; Vol. 66 (4), pp. 194-199.
DOI: 10.4103/jpgm.JPGM_599_19
Abstrakt: Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is widely prevalent worldwide. This has led to a significant surge in referrals for vitamin D assessment in recent years. The cost-effectiveness and rationalization of this practice is uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the referral pattern for vitamin D testing from a tertiary center in southern India.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done over a period of one year (2017). A total of 95,750 individuals, referred for vitamin D screening were included in this study. Details regarding referring departments and indications for referral were obtained from the computerized hospital information processing system (CHIPS).
Results: The study population exhibited a female preponderance (54.1%) with mean (SD) age of 40.3 (18.5) years. Overall, 44% were found to have vitamin D deficiency. Most of the referrals were from nephrology (15.4%), neurology (10.1%), and orthopedics (9.1%). Nevertheless, dermatology, the staff-clinic, and hematology which contributed to 3.3%, 1.7%, and 1.7% of referrals, had a higher proportion of vitamin D deficiency of 59.1%, 57.7%, and 64.6%, respectively. Although the most common indications for referral were generalized body aches (20.5%) and degenerative bone disorders (20.1%), the proportion of subjects with vitamin D deficiency referred for these indications were 46.1% and 41.6%, respectively. In contrast, chronic steroid use that accounted for 3.3% of the referrals had 59.1% of subjects who were deficient in vitamin D.
Conclusion: To ensure a rational approach to vitamin D testing, clinicians ought to use their discretion to screen those truly at risk for vitamin D deficiency on a case to case basis and avoid indiscriminate testing of the same.
Competing Interests: None
Databáze: MEDLINE
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