Elderly in scurvy risk

OLDER patients should have their nutritional levels screened when entering hospitals, due to a rise in scurvy outbreaks, a university study has found.

Dr Yogesh Sharma, researcher for frailty and nutritional rehabilitation of older hospitalised patients at Flinders University in South Australia, said the deficiency was found “across all types of patients” aged over 60.

Severe vitamin C deficiencies have been related to scurvy reports across the state.

“It is a more significant issue than we first thought,” Dr Sharma said.