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Summary
Following a diagnosis of scurvy amongst elderly long-stay psychiatric patients,a 6-d weighed food survey was carried out on a random sample of 14 patients.Blood was taken for biochemical and haematological analysis. Samples of thehospital vegetables were collected for ascorbic acid analysis.
The nutritional status of the group was adequate in all but the followingrespects: five patients, who were not drinking fruit juice regularly, had serumascorbic acid levels below 11 µmol/1 and were at risk of scurvy. The mean 25- hydroxycholecalciferol - 25(OH)CC - level for the group fell below the normal summertime values. Six had levels of 11 nmol/1 or less and were at risk of developing ostoemalacia. Seven (50 per cent) of the patients were given a pureed diet , but their nutritional intake did not differ from that of their peers.
This study showed that the risk of scurvy is prevented by a daily fruit juiceand this now forms part of the hospital diet. Further studies into vitamin D supplementation are being undertaken.