Vitamin K Deficiency

Introduction

• Disruption of all vitamin K-dependent factors
  • II, VII, IX, X, protein C, protein S
• See Vitamin topic   
• Deficiency most commonly seen in
  • newborns
    • lack gut colonization by bacteria that produce vitamin K
    • newborns are given IM vitamin K shot at birth for prophylaxis
  • malabsorptive conditions
  • long-term antibiotic therapy
• kills gut bacteria that produce vitamin K

Presentation

• Symptoms
  • hemarthroses
  • intramuscular bleeding
  • GI bleeding
• excessive bleeding in response to minor trauma

Evaluation

• Labs 
  • ↑ PTT, PT
• normal bleeding time

Treatment

• Administer vitamin K