Vitamin K deficiency in patients undergoing hip surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Prevalence of vitamin K deficiency in patients undergoing both emergency and elective hip surgery, and relationship with peri-operative Haemoglobin drop.
IRAS ID
128509
Contact name
Frances Dockery
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
Vitamin K is essential for the activation of several blood coagulation (clotting) factors and so has an important role in the normal coagulation pathway. Severe vitamin K deficiency may be associated with excessive bleeding and could therefore be important in patients undergoing major surgery.
Over 90% of the body’s vitamin K comes from plants such as green vegetables and vegetable oils, and body stores are depleted by periods of fasting of as little as three days. Fasting for 1-2 days is not uncommon in patients who are about to undergo surgery, but a high proportion of older patients are undernourished and therefore are already likely to have low vitamin K status. This is particularly so for hip fracture patients, who are often quite frail and have poor nutritional intake.
In this study we will measure the prevalence of vitamin K deficiency in older patients admitted to hospital with a hip fracture, and compare the prevalence to that of a group of patients undergoing elective hip replacement surgery. We will also look at the association of their vitamin K status with subsequent fall in Hb (Haemoglobin, which is a measure the person’s anaemia or blood count) following surgery and their blood transfusion requirements.
The study will involve two blood tests for vitamin K. The first blood test will be run on their existing blood sample in the laboratory (all routine phlebotomy samples are stored by laboratories for 5-7 days), the second will be an extra 5ml of blood and will be taken with their routine post-operative bloods.REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0017
Date of REC Opinion
3 Mar 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion