The vitamin that is helpful in blood clotting is?

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2019

Explanation

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for the process of blood coagulation.
It functions as a necessary coenzyme in the liver for the synthesis of functional clotting factors.
Specifically, it is required for the gamma-carboxylation of factors II (prothrombin), VII, IX, and X, which allows them to bind calcium and participate in the clotting cascade.

Option B: Vitamin A is not directly involved in the synthesis of clotting factors.
Option C: Vitamin D's primary role is not in blood clotting.
Option D: While severe Vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) can lead to bleeding, it is due to impaired collagen synthesis causing fragile blood vessels, not a defect in the clotting cascade.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Role of vitamins in hemostasis and blood coagulation helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
A key nursing action is the administration of a prophylactic Vitamin K injection to all newborns to prevent Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB), also known as Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn.
Nurses must educate patients taking warfarin (a Vitamin K antagonist) to maintain a consistent dietary intake of Vitamin K. Sudden increases or decreases in foods like leafy greens can dangerously alter their INR (International Normalized Ratio).
What if? If a patient with liver failure presents with bleeding, their prothrombin time (PT) will be prolonged. This is because the damaged liver cannot effectively use Vitamin K to synthesize clotting factors, leading to a coagulopathy.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key concept from the question stem, which is the link between a 'vitamin' and 'blood clotting'.
Systematically review the primary functions of each vitamin listed in the options.
Recall that Vitamin K is uniquely associated with the synthesis of clotting factors in the liver. The 'K' is sometimes linked to its German name, 'Koagulationsvitamin'.
Eliminate the other options by confirming their distinct primary roles: Vitamin A for vision, Vitamin D for bone health, and Vitamin C for collagen synthesis.
Confirm your answer by considering clinical applications. The use of Vitamin K as an antidote for warfarin overdose strongly reinforces its pro-clotting function.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QEcjAaiHVsbmzLuoFkCKCJ

E6 Biochemistry U Satyanarayana— Part 1 (pp 26-420 of 840) p. 121-123

E6 Nutrition Monika Sharma 3e p. 136-138

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 2 p. 517-519

Practise the full RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2019

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