Don’t Fall for This One!
This was a case of a 97 y/o male who was admitted with a diagnosis of mechanical fall. More than 30% of adults over the age of 65 suffer a fall and 10% of these cases result in serious life-altering injuries. Therefore, we discussed the importance of fall prevention, highlighting Vit D supplementation and its pathophysiologic relationship to skeletal muscle.
The case then took a turn for the worse when the glucose dropped the following morning to ~30 and required D5 drip. A thorough investigation of the patient’s nursing enviornment led to the conclusion that his medications had been switched with his roomates, which was later confirmed by a positive sulfonyurea screen.
Effect of Vitamin D on Falls: A Meta-Analysis