It is tragic that people who have to be treated in hospital due to a disease are also particularly susceptible to the pathogens circulating there. For example, at least 250 patients in Austria alone are infected daily with hospital germs – and the trend is rising.
250 infections per day
The increasing number of infections by hospital germs causes uncertainty and fear. Even harmless pathogens are often already resistant to most antibiotics in this environment and can therefore cause massive complications and significantly delay the healing process. The resulting longer hospital stays increase the risk of infection – a vicious circle.
Sick people are weaker “opponents”, so bacteria and other pathogens have an easier time of infecting such a person. Some harmless pathogens have an effect due to the large number in which they occur. What can protect patients from infections?
Better vitamin D supply, fewer infections?
In a recently published study, Korean researchers were able to prove a direct link between vitamin D supply to patients and the occurrence of infectious diseases. To this end, the infection status of patients in a neurosurgical intensive care unit was determined: The white blood count, the proportion of white blood cells – i.e. our defence cells – and bacterial cultures from urine and blood were investigated.
Researchers recommend preventive vitamin D administration
The result: In patients with a proven infection, the vitamin D levels in the blood were significantly lower than in patients without infection. A clear correlation could be observed between the decrease of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to a deficit range of less than 10 ng/ml (25 nmol/l) and the increase of the inflammatory parameters associated with the infections. Nowadays a normal blood level of 75 nmol/l is recommended, so the affected patients slipped into a massive deficiency.
The conclusion of the researchers: Vitamin D plays an important role in the prevention of hospital infections (nosocomial infections). Diseases such as tuberculosis or other infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract appear to be clearly associated with a vitamin D deficiency. The administration of vitamin D to hospital patients could therefore make a valuable contribution to preventing such infections.
It is important to mention that vitamin D in particular needs important partners in our body in order to develop its full effect. Magnesium is a team player of vitamin D, on the one hand, and vitamin K2, vitamin D, on the other hand, supports our bones in its health-promoting role.
Hospital stays can be shortened by 21%.
Hospital stays shorter, costs lower
This not only has positive consequences for the well-being of patients, but is also economically relevant. A study presented by US economists in which over a million patient data were evaluated showed that oral supplementation with nutrients such as vitamin D reduced the length of stay in hospital by 21 percent and the associated economic costs by 21.6 percent. This saving amounted to more than 4,700 US dollars per patient, which underlines the enormous potential of a sufficient supply of nutrients, which have often been underestimated, not only for our health, but for our entire health system and society as a whole.
