Deficiency of which nutrient causes scurvy?

Appeared in: Raj. CHO -2025

Explanation

Scurvy is the specific disease caused by a severe and prolonged deficiency of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen, a protein vital for the integrity of blood vessels, skin, gums, and bones.
The breakdown of collagen due to lack of Vitamin C leads to the characteristic symptoms of scurvy, such as bleeding gums, poor wound healing, and hemorrhages.

Option A: A deficiency in Vitamin A primarily affects vision and epithelial tissue, leading to conditions like night blindness and xerophthalmia (dry eyes), not scurvy.
Option B: A deficiency in Vitamin D impairs calcium and phosphate metabolism, resulting in bone-softening diseases like rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Option D: This is not a valid physiological or nutritional option. It indicates that the user did not answer the question, making it an incorrect choice in a knowledge-based test.

Visual 1: Infographic - Showing the classic signs of scurvy, such as swollen and bleeding gums, perifollicular hemorrhage (corkscrew hairs), and easy bruising.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Nutritional Deficiencies: Vitamin C and Scurvy as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must be able to identify patients at high risk for scurvy, including the elderly, individuals with chronic alcoholism, those on restrictive diets (food faddists), and patients with malabsorption syndromes.
A key nursing intervention is patient education about the importance of a balanced diet and including sources of Vitamin C to prevent deficiency.
Monitoring for early signs like fatigue, gum changes, and unexplained bruising in at-risk patients can lead to timely diagnosis and treatment.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: "Deficiency" and "scurvy".
This is a direct factual recall question that tests your knowledge of specific nutritional deficiency diseases.
Systematically review your knowledge of the major vitamins and their associated deficiency syndromes.
Recall that scurvy is historically and medically linked to a lack of Vitamin C.
Evaluate the other options to confirm your answer. Vitamin A deficiency causes eye problems, and Vitamin D deficiency causes bone problems. This confirms that Vitamin C is the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full Raj. CHO -2025

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