Vitamins and Minerals Flashcards
What are minerals?
🌟 Naturally occuring inorganic substances
🌟 Important for normal functioning of the human body
🌟 Taken in via diet
🌟 Some are also electrolytes
What are vitamins?
🌟 Substances the body needed to carry out essential metabolic reactions
🌟 The body cannot synthesize enough of these components to meet all of its needs
🌟 Must be obtained from animal or vegetable tissue - taken in as food.
What are the general therapeutic actions of Vitamins and Minerals?
- Facilitate functions in the human body
- Build bones, make hormones, regulate fluid volume, generate nerve action potentials, and produce red blood cells
What are the general indications of Vitamins and Minerals?
- Treatment of deficiencies
- Dietary Supplements
- Specific therapies related to the activity of the vitamin or mineral
Vitamins & Minerals
Contraindications
- Allergy to drug OR any of the colorants, additives, or preservatives
- Levels of the vitamin and mineral that are already too high in the body
Vitamins & Minerals
Adverse Effects
🤢 GI upset
Vitamins & Minerals
Drug Interactions
🚫 Fat Soluble Vitamins: may not be absorbed if given with mineral oil, cholestyramine, or colestipol
🚫 Potassium with potassium sparing diuretics - risk of hyperkalemia
🚫 Magnesium and calcium with antibitoics and/or iron –> decreased absorption of antibiotics and iron.
What are the water soluble vitamins?
Vitamins B & C
readily excreted in urine
dissolve in water
daily intake necessary
What are the fat soluble vitamins?
Vitamins A, D, E, & K
dissolve in fat
tend to be stored in the liver
daily intake is not necessary
Vitamin A
Indications
⭐ Deficiency and malnutrition
⭐ Wound healing
Vitamin A
Signs of deficiency
👁️ Night blindness or other vision problems
🔴 Impaired skin integrity
Hypervitaminosis A
Signs of Vitamin A toxicity
- Mouth ulcers
- Cracked fingernails
- Bone pain
- Loss of appetite
- Cracked corners of mouth
- Blurry vision or other vision problems
- Dizziness
- Can cause severe liver toxicity
- GI effects
Vitamin A
Food Sources
- Beef, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese
- Sweet potato, squash, kale, spinach
- Mango, cantaloupe, grapefruit
Think orange and green fruits and vegetables
Vitamin C: Ascorbic Acid
Indications
⭐ Deficiency (Scurvy is a severe deficiency)
⭐ Enhances PO iron absorption
⭐ Wound healing
Vitamin C: Ascorbic Acid
Signs of deficiency
- Gingivitis
- Hair and tooth loss
- Nosebleeds
- Easy bruising
- Delayed healing
Vitamin C: Ascorbic Acid
Adverse Effects
🫘 Kidney stones
Vitamin C
Food Sources
- Citrus
- Tomatoes
- Berries
- Potatoes
Vitamin D: Calcifediol, Cholecalciferol, or Ergocalciferol
Indications
⭐ Deficiency and/or malnutrition
Vitamin D: Calcifediol, Cholecalciferol, or Ergocalciferol
Signs of deficiency
- Rickets (soft weak bones in children)
- Oseomalacia (soft bones in adults)
- Osteoporosis (thin, brittle bones in adults)
- Tetany
Hypervitaminosis D
Signs of Vitamin D toxicity
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Excessive thirst
- Excessive urination
- Dehydration
- Constipation
- Irritability
- Nervousness
Vitamin D
Food Sources
- Fish
- Dairy
- Mushrooms
- Fortified orange juice
Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin
Indications
⭐ Pernicious Anemia
⭐ Deficiency or malnutrition
⭐ ETOH
⭐ Malabsorption syndrome
⭐ Vegan Diet
⭐ Prolonged use of PPIs or H2 Blockers
Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin
Signs of deficiency
- Megaloblastic anemia
- Mucous membranes - cheilosis (cracked lips), glossitis (red tongue), stomatitis
- Neurologic: paresthesias, balance problems, memory loss, thinking problems
Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin
Food Sources
- Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy
- Fortified cereals and yeasts
Vitamin E
Indications
⭐ Mostly in premature infants
⭐ May be low in metabolic syndrome
⭐ Wound healing
Vitamin E
Signs of toxicity
- Nausea
- Gastric distress
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Easy bruising and bleeding
Vitamin E
Food Sources
- Vegetable Oils
- Nuts & Seeds
- Spinach & broccoli
- Fish, meats, egg yolks
- Fortified cereals
Think Oils
Vitamin B3: Niacin
Indications
⭐ Pellegra is niacin deficiency (often r/t malabsorption)
⭐ Lipid lowering agent
Vitamin B3: Niacin
Signs of deficiency
- Mucous membranes: cheilosis, glossitis, stomatitis
Vitamin B3: Niacin
Adverse Effects
❤️ Flushing of skin
🔴 Pruritis
🤢 GI upset at high doses
Vitamin K: Phytonadione
Indications
⭐ Deficiency states (may occur with antiobiotic therapy)
⭐ Warfarin antidote
Vitamin K is synthesized by GI Normal Flora
Vitamin K: Phytonadione
Signs of toxicity
- Jaundice
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Hemolytic anemia
- Kernicterus (brain damage) in infants
Vitamin K: Phytonadione
Important things to remember
- Deaths occur with IV route - use extreme caution
- Interferes with Warfarin therapy
- Infants given Vitamin K shot at birth because of undeveloped gut bacteria
Vitamin B1: Thiamine
Indications
⭐ Beriberi (thiamine deficiency)
⭐ Wernicke-Korskoff’s (alcoholic) encephalopathy
⭐ Peripheral neuritis
⭐ Deficiency and malnutrition
⭐ ETOH
⭐ Malabsorption syndromes
Calcium
Mechanism of Action
- Needed for musculoskeletal, nerve, and cardiovascular function
Calcium
Indications
⭐ Deficiency
⭐ Reduce risk of osteoporosis
⭐ Used in conjunction wtih Vitamin D to increase calcium absorption
Calcium
Signs of toxicity
- Nausea
- Kidney Stones
- Heart arrhythmias
Calcium
Food Sources
- Milk, cheese, yogurt
- Kale, broccoli
- Salmon, sardines
Magnesium
Mechanism of Action
- Activtes many intracellular enzymes
- Helps to regulate skeletal and cardiac muscle contractility
Magnesium
Indications
⭐ Deficiency
⭐ As an antacid or laxative
⭐ Decreases uterine contractions
⭐ Prevents seizures in preeclampsa
Magnesium
Signs of Toxicity
- AV node conduction suppression
- Muscle weakness
- Respiratory depression
- Diarrhea
Antidote: Calcium Gluconate
Magnesium
Food Sources
- Green leafy vegetables
- Nuts, seeds
- Whole grains
Phosphorus
Actions
- Regulates acid base balance
- Bone formation
- Energy production and storage
- Hormone activation
Phosphorus
Indications
⭐ Deficiency
⭐ May prevent some kidney stone formation
Phosphorus
Signs of toxicity: Rare
- itching
- muscle cramps
- joint pain
- kidney damage
- CV issues
- bone pain
Phosphorus
Food Sources
- Dairy products
- Meats, poultry, fish, eggs
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes (lentils, kidney beans, peas)
- Whole grains
- Potatoes, asparagus
Potassium
Actions
- Regulate acid-base balance
- Nerve action potentials
- Electrical excitability of muscles
Potassium
Indication
⭐ Deficiency
Potassium
Signs of toxicity
- EKG changes
- Muscle cramps
- Palpitations
Never give by IV Push
Potassium
Food Sources
- Bananas
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Avocacdo
- Oranges
- Sweet potatoes
- Apricots/dried fruit
- Apples
Vitamins & Minerals
Implementation/Patient Teaching
- Assess patient’s general condition
- Advise the pt to avoid the use of OTC supplements if taking prescription vitamins/minerals
- Take with meals to alleviate GI distress
