© 2002 The Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine
CASE REPORT
Will an orange a day keep the doctor away?
Department of Geriatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Tristan Richardson, B-DEC, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Castle Lane East, Bournemouth BH7 7DW, UK;
tristan.richardson{at}rbch-tr.swest.nhs.uk
An 80 year old man, who relied on a home based meals-on-wheels service was admitted to hospital with non-specific symptoms, but had clinical and biochemical evidence of scurvy. Subsequently, all new admissions (n=37) to the department over a three week period were assessed for evidence of undernutrition. It was found that 73% had hypovitaminosis C, with 30% having concentrations suggestive of scurvy. There were no significant associations between level of vitamin C and type of accommodation, food provision, or age. The commonest symptom associated with vitamin C deficiency was anorexia, but overall, there was a paucity of clinical signs associated with vitamin C deficiency. The possible associations of vitamin C deficiency in the elderly are discussed.
Keywords: vitamin C; scurvy; elderly; undernutrition
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