Vitamins

Multivitamins are vital and necessary nutrients for all patients, especially during acute illness and include the fat-soluble vitamins (i.e., A, D, E, and K) and the water soluble vitamins, B-vitamins (e.g., B-1, B-6, B-12, etc.), Vitamin C and folic acid. For delivery into the stomach or intestine of adults, for example, standard amounts equal to the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) are often provided in pre-mixed products by the manufacturer and usually met when approximately 1500 kcals of the commercial formula are given daily. For intravenous delivery, specific amounts of these are included in a single commercial sterile product, as recently established by the Food and Drug Administration or FDA, and are added by the Pharmacy each day. (www.nutritioncare.org ASPEN and www.espen.org ESPEN links here) Of particular note, vitamin K has been added to the standard adult formula, where it has always been included in infant multivitamin formulations.