Vitamin K deficiency is rare in adults, but it happens in babies. The main symptom of vitamin K deficiency is heavy bleeding due to the lack of blood clot formation.

In this article, we discuss the role of vitamin K in the body and the symptoms and treatment of its deficiency.

Vitamin K has two types.

What is vitamin K or K?

The first type is called vitamin K-1 or phylloquinone and is found in plants such as spinach and cabbage.

The second type is vitamin K-2 or monoquinone, which is produced naturally in the intestinal tract.

Vitamin K-1 and K-2 produce a protein that helps blood clot.... Blood clot formation or blood coagulation prevents severe internal or external bleeding.

Although vitamin K deficiency is rare, its deficiency causes the body not to produce enough protein for blood clotting....as a result, the person experiences heavy bleeding.

Most adults get enough vitamin K through food and naturally produced by the body.

Some medications and certain diseases reduce the production of vitamin K and prevent its absorption, meaning that adults suffer from vitamin K deficiency.

However, vitamin K deficiency is more common in infants.... This condition is called Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding or VKDB.

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Causes and risk factors of vitamin K deficiency

Adults are more at risk of vitamin K deficiency and associated symptoms in the following conditions:

• Use of anticoagulant drugs that prevent the formation of blood clots but inhibit the activity of vitamin K
• Use of antibiotics that interfere with the formation of vitamin K and its absorption
• Not getting the required vitamin K through food consumption
• Use of high doses of vitamin A or E

Other people diagnosed with vitamin K deficiency may have a condition where the body cannot absorb fat properly... a condition called fat malabsorption.

People who have fat absorption disorders may suffer from the following diseases:

• Celiac disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Disturbances in the intestinal tract or bile duct (liver, gallbladder, and bile duct) (gall bladder cancer)
• Part of the person's intestine has been removed

There are many reasons why infants are more likely to be deficient in vitamin K, including the following:

• Brother's milk does not have enough vitamin K
• Vitamin K is not transferred well from the mother's placenta to the fetus
• The baby's liver cannot use vitamin K properly
• The baby's intestine does not produce vitamin K in the first few days

Nutrition and diet experts recommend that adult men get 120 micrograms of vitamin K daily and adult women get 90 micrograms of vitamin K daily.

Symptoms of vitamin K deficiency

Vitamin K deficiency has various symptoms, but the main symptom is heavy bleeding.. Heavy bleeding may not be immediately apparent because it only occurs if the person is injured.

Other symptoms of severe bleeding include the following:

• The person's body bruises easily
• Dead blood under the nails
• Bleeding of the mucous membrane that covers the walls of the internal parts of the body
• Dark and tarry stools or with blood

To check the symptoms of vitamin K deficiency in the fetus and baby, the doctor also checks the following substances:

• Bleeding of the part from which the umbilical cord is separated
• Bleeding from the skin, nose, digestive system or other parts
• Bleeding of the penis in case of circumcision of the child
• Sudden brain bleeding that is severe and fatal

Vitamin K deficiency diagnosis

To diagnose vitamin K deficiency, a doctor will ask about a person's medical history to check for risk factors.

The doctor may use a blood coagulation test called the prothrombin time test or PT.... In this test, blood is taken from the person using a small needle... After adding chemicals to the blood, the duration of blood clot formation is checked and observed.

If the formation of a blood clot takes more than 13.5 seconds, the doctor suspects vitamin K deficiency.

Some foods contain high amounts of vitamin K and should not be consumed before the test... including liver, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, cabbage, green tea, and soybeans.

Treatment of vitamin K deficiency

If a person is diagnosed with vitamin K deficiency, they are given a vitamin K supplement called phytonadione.

Phytonadione is usually taken in capsule form, but it can be injected if a person has difficulty absorbing the supplement.

Dose of the drug depends on the health of the person.... The normal dose of phytonadione for adults is between 1 and 25 micrograms.

The doctor will also check if the person is taking anticoagulants, as these can interfere with vitamin K.

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Vitamin K and infants

Prescribing vitamin K at the beginning of production prevents its deficiency in babies..

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a needle injection containing 0.5 to 1 microgram of vitamin K at birth.

This needle is especially important for babies who suffer from certain diseases. Among the high-risk factors of bleeding caused by vitamin K deficiency, the following can be mentioned:

• Babies who are born prematurely
• Babies whose mothers use anticonvulsants, anticoagulants, or tuberculosis drugs
• Babies who suffer from malabsorption of fat due to gastrointestinal or liver disease
• Babies who do not receive vitamin K at birth, are exclusively breastfed, and breastfed.. Take

Although vitamin K injections are recommended at birth, the decision to do so rests with the parents.

Note

Vitamin K deficiency is very rare in adults.. But if its deficiency is not treated, it can lead to severe bleeding.

In order to prevent problems caused by severe bleeding, such as intracranial bleeding, brain damage and infant death, it is necessary to inject vitamin K from birth.

If you think you may be deficient in vitamin K, contact an internist at GCORP LLC. He will perform a physical exam and order blood tests.

Source: medicalnewstoday