Impact of vitamin A supplementation on the incidence of infection in elderly nursing-home residents: a randomized controlled trial.
The aim of this study was to determine if vitamin A supplementation reduces the incidence of bacterial infections among elderly nursing-home residents. One hundred and nine patients were enrolled into a double-masked, placebo-controlled trial at an academically affiliated nursing home. Fifty-six patients received a single capsule containing 1,000 IU of vitamin A (placebo) and 53 received a single capsule containing 200,000 IU of vitamin A. Antibiotic-treated infections were enumerated for 90 days after dosing and infection rates were expressed per 1000 days of follow-up. There were 42 antibiotic-treated infections altogether, 21 in each group. The infection rates in the vitamin A and placebo groups were 4.7 and 4.3 per 1,000 days of follow-up, respectively (relative risk 1.1; 95% CI 0.6, 2.0). The findings of this study do not support a role for vitamin A supplements for the prevention of infections among frail elderly nursing-home patients.
Murphy
S
S
Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins Geriatrics Centre, Baltimore, Maryland.
West
K P
KP
Greenough
W B
WB
Cherot
E
E
Katz
J
J
Clement
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control*
D014801:Vitamin A