Vitamin
K Deficiency/Antagonism
Dietary factors associated with vitamin K:
Limited body stores
Fat soluble and requires bile salts
for absorption
Broad spectrum antibiotics may lower
levels
Hemorrhagic disease of newborns:
Newborns are vitamin K deficient –
nonplacental transfer or is missing in breast milk
Vitamin K now added to formulae
Vitamin K antagonists:
The g-carboxylation
cycle is interrupted by warfarin-type anticoagulants
The g-carboxylation
cycle interruption produces abnormal factors II, VII, IX, X, PC, and PS (PIVKA)
PIVKA = Proteins In
Vitamin K Antagonism
