Water-soluble vitamin levels in the fasting patients during peripheral parenteral nutrition without addition of vitamins

Abstract

We examined the concentrations of water-soluble vitamins including vitamin B₁, B₂, B₆, B₁₂, C, and folate, and homocysteine in the fasting patients on acute stage with stroke and gastrointestinal diseases, who received peripheral parenteral nutrition without addition of these vitamins for 3 to 7 days. On admission, all patients showed low levels of vitamin B₆ and C. Especially, the patients with gastrointestinal diseases showed the low concentrations of all vitamin B₁, B₂, B₆, B₁₂, C, folate, which decreased furthermore to the lower levels during the observation period. The patients with stroke also revealed the similar changes. These results showed that these vitamins should be added to the peripheral parenteral nutrition in fasting patients.