1. P-OGC11 Vitamin B12 supplementation post gastrectomy. A service audit in St. James’s hospital, Dublin
- Author
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Hugo Temperley, Cian Murray, James Carey, Jarlath Bolger, Narayanasamy Ravi, John V Reynolds, and Claire Donohoe
- Subjects
Surgery - Abstract
Background Vitamin B12 deficiency is a well described complication post gastrectomy. It is caused by the loss of parietal cell mass leading to megaloblastic anaemia and possible long term neurological symptoms. Treatment can be with standardised replacement regimens or to monitor B12 levels and replace as required. This study assesses patient understanding of and compliance with B12 supplementation guidelines post total and subtotal gastrectomy. Methods 125 patients who underwent gastrectomy between 2010-2020 were available for study (86 total gastrectomies, 39 subtotal gastrectomies). Patient data was collected by review of the hospital electronic records and individual phone calls. Patients were asked standardised questions to elicit knowledge of the importance of B12 supplementation and compliance with supplementation. Results 92% (79/86) of total gastrectomy patients reported compliance in regular parenteral B12 supplementation. Compliance was significantly lower for subtotal gastrectomies for checking and/or replacing their vitamin B12 at 53.8% (21/39) (p Conclusions Regular monitoring and supplementation of vitamin B12 levels is important post gastrectomy. This study demonstrates good compliance in those undergoing total gastrectomy. Patient understanding correlates with compliance, suggesting that patient education and knowledge reinforcement may be key to compliance with vitamin B12 supplementation.
- Published
- 2021