VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY

Course overview

VITAMIN B12, ALSO KNOWN AS COBALAMIN, IS A WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMIN THAT IS DERIVED FROM ANIMAL PRODUCTS SUCH AS RED MEAT, DAIRY, AND EGGS. INTRINSIC FACTOR IS A GLYCOPROTEIN PRODUCED BY PARIETAL CELLS IN THE STOMACH AND NECESSARY FOR THE ABSORPTION OF VITAMIN B12 IN THE TERMINAL ILEUM. ONCE ABSORBED, VITAMIN B12 IS USED AS A COFACTOR FOR ENZYMES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE SYNTHESIS OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA), FATTY ACIDS, AND MYELIN. VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY CAN LEAD TO HEMATOLOGIC AND NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS. VITAMIN B12 IS STORED IN EXCESS IN THE LIVER, DECREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF DEFICIENCY. HOWEVER, IN CASES IN WHICH VITAMIN B12 CANNOT BE ABSORBED, FOR EXAMPLE, DUE TO DIETARY INSUFFICIENCY, MALABSORPTION OR LACK OF INTRINSIC FACTOR, HEPATIC STORES ARE DEPLETED, AND DEFICIENCY ENSUES. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.