CAROTENEMIA

Course overview

FIRST DESCRIBED IN 1919 BY HESS AND MEYERS, CAROTENEMIA IS THE MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY DESCRIBING YELLOW-ORANGE SKIN PIGMENTATION DUE TO HIGH CAROTENE LEVELS IN THE BLOOD. EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES HIGH IN CAROTENE CONTENT IS OFTEN THE CULPRIT. HISTORICALLY, CAROTENEMIA IS A RELATIVELY OLD CONDITION MENTIONED IN A FEW OLD MEDICAL CASE REPORTS. THIS CONDITION WAS ALSO REPORTED DURING WORLD WAR 1 AND WORLD WAR 2, WHEN PEOPLE MOSTLY CONSUMED A PLANT-BASED DIET DUE TO FOOD SHORTAGES AND FAMINE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PRESENTATION OF CAROTENEMIA AND STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.