A nurse must be aware that eating Maize alone may lead onto

Appeared in: JIPMER Nursing Officer-2017

Explanation

Pellagra is the correct answer as it is a disease caused by a severe deficiency of niacin (Vitamin B3).
A diet consisting mainly of maize (corn) is a classic cause of pellagra.
This is because the niacin in maize is in a biologically unavailable bound form (niacytin), and maize is also low in tryptophan, an amino acid the body can convert to niacin.

Option A: Beri-Beri is caused by a deficiency of thiamine (Vitamin B1), not niacin.
Option C: Scurvy is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Option D: Phrynoderma, or "toad skin," is primarily associated with a deficiency of Vitamin A and/or essential fatty acids.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Nutritional deficiencies related to specific staple diets helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses must conduct thorough dietary history assessments, especially for vulnerable populations, to identify monotonous diets that pose a risk for nutritional deficiencies.
Patient education is a critical nursing role. Teaching about the importance of a varied diet, including legumes with grains like maize, can prevent pellagra.
Recognizing the early signs of pellagra (the '4 Ds': dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia) allows for prompt intervention and treatment with niacin supplementation.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key element in the question stem, which is the food item 'Maize' and the context of eating it 'alone'.
The question asks for a disease that results from this specific diet. This is a factual recall question linking a food to a nutritional deficiency.
Systematically review the options by recalling the cause of each deficiency disease.
Recall or deduce that Beri-Beri is linked to thiamine deficiency (polished rice).
Recall or deduce that Scurvy is linked to Vitamin C deficiency (lack of fresh produce).
Recall or deduce that Phrynoderma is linked to Vitamin A/fatty acid deficiency.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q4fQMo6do6tKqgCuGrfi-y

E6 Medicine Davidson Principles Practice 24e p. 734-736

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 154-156

Practise the full JIPMER Nursing Officer-2017

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.