Effect of a reduced vitamin K supplementation on prothrombin time in prematures and high-risk neonates.
Recommendations for vitamin K supplementation were recently changed to 3 x 1 mg orally in healthy term neonates and 0.2 mg parenterally in prematures and high-risk neonates. Prothrombin times (PT) at reduced vitamin K doses (120 patients, 170 samples) during the first 6 weeks of life were below 40% in 6 patients only; all low PTs were unrelated to vitamin K. In the remaining patients, median PT was 100%; 79% of patients had values above 70%. PT was related to birthweight, gestational age and age. There was no decrease over the observation period. Following reduced oral and parenteral vitamin K regimens PTs were well within published reference values for neonates given larger amounts of vitamin K.
Rossi
R
R
University Children's Hospital, Münster, Germany.
Albrecht
O
O
Pollmann
H
H
Jorch
G
G
Harms
E
E
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D005865:Gestational Age; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012016:Reference Values; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D006490:Hemostatics; D014812:Vitamin K