Vitamin D Deficiency in Critically Ill Patients

Abstract

To the Editor: Vitamin D deficiency is rarely considered or treated in critically ill patients. However, we recently reported three cases of life-threatening hypocalcemia secondary to vitamin D deficiency,1,2 highlighting potential acute complications. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its significance in the intensive care unit (ICU) are unknown. We performed a prospective study of the vitamin D status in ICU patients (Table 1) referred to the Department of Endocrinology, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, between January 2007 and January 2008. Demographic, physiological, and biochemical variables were recorded, including the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) (on a . . .