Xerophthalmia can be controlled by administration of which of the following vitamins?

Appeared in: Tripura CHO - 2021

Explanation

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for vision, particularly for adapting to dim light (scotopic vision).
It is a component of rhodopsin, a pigment found in the retina's rod cells.
Vitamin A is also crucial for the maintenance of healthy epithelial tissues, including the conjunctiva and cornea.
A deficiency of Vitamin A leads to a spectrum of eye disorders known as xerophthalmia, which begins with night blindness and can progress to total blindness if untreated.

Option A: Vitamin D is primarily involved in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, which is essential for bone mineralization.
Option B: Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a water-soluble vitamin that functions as a coenzyme in many metabolic reactions, particularly those involving amino acids. It is not related to eye health.
Option D: Vitamin E's main function is as a lipid-soluble antioxidant, protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain The role of Vitamin A in preventing xerophthalmia as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses are instrumental in public health programs for preventing nutritional blindness by administering prophylactic doses of Vitamin A to at-risk children (ages 6 months to 5 years).
Patient education by nurses on dietary sources of Vitamin A is a key preventive strategy, especially for pregnant women and young children in vulnerable communities.
Recognizing the early signs of deficiency, such as a mother's report of a child's difficulty seeing at dusk (night blindness), is a critical nursing assessment skill that can prompt early intervention.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question stem: 'Xerophthalmia'.
Recognize that this is a specific medical diagnosis related to a nutritional deficiency affecting the eyes.
Access your knowledge base about vitamins and their associated deficiency diseases.
Systematically evaluate each option: Vitamin D is for bones, Vitamin B6 for nerves and blood, Vitamin A for vision and epithelial tissue, and Vitamin E is an antioxidant.
Directly link the function of Vitamin A (maintaining healthy epithelial tissue in the eye) to the condition of xerophthalmia ('dry eye'). This direct correlation confirms it as the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 151-153

E6 Textbook of Biochemistry for medical StudentsDM Vasudevan Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-239 of 478) p. 121-123

E6 textbook of Applied Biochemistry and Nutrition & Dietetics 2nd Edition Harbans Lal (pp 26-464 of 479) p. 26-479

Practise the full Tripura CHO - 2021

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