Vitamin D status and the risk for hospital-acquired infections in critically ill adults: a prospective cohort study.

Abstract

IntroductionTo identify patient characteristics associated with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) and examine the relationship between serum 25(OH)D and the risk for hospital-acquired infections.MethodsThis is a prospective observational cohort of adult patients admitted to the medical ICU at an urban safety net teaching hospital in Atlanta, Georgia from November 1, 2011 through October 31, 2012 with an anticipated ICU stay ≥ 1 day. Phlebotomy for serum 25(OH)D measurement was performed on all patients within 5 days of ICU admission. Patients were followed for 30 days or until death or hospital discharge, whichever came first. Hospital-acquired infections were determined using standardized criteria from review of electronic medical record.ResultsAmong the 314 patients analyzed, 178 (57%) had a low vitamin D at a serum 25(OH)D concentration ConclusionsIn this prospective, observational cohort of adults admitted to a single-center medical ICU, we did not find a significant association between low 25(OH)D and the risk for hospital-acquired infections.