A Study of Vitamin D Supplementation to Patients with Chronic Diseases Admitted to Ain Shams University Hospital

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency have become a common problem worldwide. Vitamin D has been associated with all causes of mortality in chronic diseases which are significantly associated with a longer hospital stay and poor outcome. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the role of empirical vitamin D supplementation in hospitalized patients and its relation to the length of stay and outcome of hospitalization. Study design: Case control study performed on eighty patients admitted to Internal Medicine Department at Ain Shams University Hospital, with acute deterioration of their chronic illness. Two groups of diseases were included, chronic liver diseases (CLD) and congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods: Twenty patients of each group were given vitamin D 200,000 IU IM within 3 days of admission (Intervention group) and 20 patients of each group (control group) did not receive vitamin D. Patients were sampled for their vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus levels on admission prior to intervention. Results: CLD and CHF Intervention groups had a non-significant correlation between vitamin D supplementation with length of hospital stay and mortality in comparison with control groups (P =1.000) (p=0.823) respectively. On the other hand, we found baseline vitamin D deficiency was an independent predictor of mortality (P value .018). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with longer hospital stay and poor outcome of hospital admission. Beneficial effect of empirical vitamin D supplementation can't be achieved with single dose vitamin D (200,000 IU) on CHF and CLD hospitalized patients.