Late-onset vitamin K deficiency presenting as haemorrhagic shock and severe multi-system organ failure.
BMJ Case Rep
; 17(8)2024 Aug 08.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39122381
ABSTRACT
Vitamin K is an essential dietary cofactor required for the synthesis of active forms of vitamin K-dependent procoagulant proteins. Vitamin K deficiency, particularly late-onset deficiency occurring between 1 week and 6 months of age, can cause a life-threatening bleeding disorder. An exclusively breastfed, full-term, 6-week-old infant male presented with severe haemorrhagic shock and multi-system organ failure related to caregiver refusal of intramuscular vitamin K after birth. Coagulation studies were normalised within 8 hours of intramuscular vitamin K administration. An increasing number of caregivers are refusing intramuscular vitamin K which has led to a rise in the incidence of vitamin K deficiency bleeding. Health policy organisations around the world emphasise the benefits of intramuscular vitamin K and risks of refusal, particularly in exclusively breastfed infants who are at higher risk due to low vitamin K levels in breast milk. This case highlights the multi-system severity of this life-threatening yet preventable disorder.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Shock, Hemorrhagic
/
Vitamin K
/
Vitamin K Deficiency
/
Multiple Organ Failure
Limits:
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
BMJ Case Rep
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States
Country of publication:
United kingdom