Scurvy is caused due to the deficiency of which of the following vitamin

Appeared in: NHM UP Staff Nurse-2021 Shift-2nd

Explanation

Scurvy is a disease resulting from a severe and prolonged deficiency of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Vitamin C is crucial for the synthesis of collagen, a protein essential for the health and integrity of connective tissues, blood vessels, skin, and bones.
Without sufficient Vitamin C, collagen formation is impaired, leading to characteristic symptoms like bleeding gums, poor wound healing, and petechial hemorrhages.
The body cannot synthesize Vitamin C, so it must be obtained through diet, primarily from fruits and vegetables.

Option A: Deficiency of Vitamin A primarily causes vision problems, such as night blindness (nyctalopia) and dry eyes (xerophthalmia), not scurvy.
Option B: Vitamin B is a complex of several different vitamins. Deficiencies of specific B vitamins cause distinct conditions like beriberi (B1), pellagra (B3), or pernicious anemia (B12), none of which are scurvy.
Option D: Vitamin D deficiency affects calcium and phosphate metabolism, leading to bone disorders like rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Vitamin Deficiencies and Associated Diseases as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must be able to recognize signs of nutritional deficiencies, including scurvy, especially in at-risk populations like the elderly, alcoholics, or individuals with malabsorptive disorders.
Patient education is a key nursing role, involving teaching about balanced diets and the importance of including fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C to prevent scurvy.
What if? If a patient presents with bleeding gums and poor wound healing but has a normal Vitamin C level, the nurse should consider other potential causes like periodontal disease, bleeding disorders (e.g., thrombocytopenia), or side effects of anticoagulant medication.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the keyword in the question, which is 'Scurvy'.
This is a direct factual recall question. Access your knowledge base about vitamins and their corresponding deficiency diseases.
Systematically evaluate each option: Associate Vitamin A with vision problems, Vitamin B with various conditions (beriberi, pellagra), Vitamin C with scurvy, and Vitamin D with bone health.
The direct and well-known link between Vitamin C deficiency and scurvy makes it the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QZmuMS4NiygmCW0yG6WMRJ

E6 textbook of Applied Biochemistry and Nutrition & DieteticsHarbans Lal (pp 26-464 of 479) p. 370-372

E6 Pathology- ROBBINS & COTRAN PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE 10TH Ed p. 448-450

E6 Biochemistry U Satyanarayana— Part 1 (pp 26-420 of 840) p. 149-151

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