This subject along with many others are quite common.
Abstract
Eleven patients with cholestatic jaundice had measurements of plasma vitamin K1 performed. Seven of these 11 (64%) had subnormal levels. A single intramuscular (im) dose of 10 mg vitamin K1 lowered the PT in 9/15 patients (includes correcting the three prolonged PTs).
The initial mean plasma vitamin K1 level rose 24 h later, to a mean plasma level which was 33 times the upper limit of the normal physiological range.
Full Text
Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (628K), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Selected References
These references are in PubMed.
This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
Background
Xis
The success of vitamin K prophylaxis has been so dramatic that many practitioners have never seen an infant afflicted with “Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn,” now known as “Vitamin K Deficient Bleeding.”. It is a popular trend in some areas to refuse prophylaxis in an effort to keep things “natural” for the infant, however, it is important to keep in mind that the infants most at risk for the classic form of the disease are healthy babies who are exclusively breastfe.
Login To Your Account
That the hemorrhagic tendency in jaundice is associated with a decrease in plasma prothrombin and that vitamin K when administered orally with bile salts is usually effective in correcting it. The best test for the hemorrhagic tendency in jaundice is prothrombin determination by one of the methods using an excess of thromboplastin. All patients with obstructive jaundice should have prothrombin determinations performed before operation.
Operation should be deferred, if possible, if the prothrombin concentration is decreased. In the presence of actual hemorrhage or if operation must be performed in the presence of a low prothrombin concentration, fresh blood transfusions may be relied upon to supply prothrombin directly.61 Blood from “blood banks” is not recommended because its prothrombin content is usually decreased.67 The prothrombin concentration may fall rapidly in the postoperative period16 and for this reason it is wise to follow it closely during this time. Routine administration of vitamin K does not as yet avoid the necessity of prothrombin determinations as the response to the oral administration of vitamin K and bile salt is not unifor.