This slide contains short information regarding vitamin a deficiency disorder. This can be helpful for proficiency level and bachelor level nursing students. Your feedback is highly appreciated.

1. Vitamin a deficiency disorder /Complication
1. Xeropthalmia
2. Blindness
3. Conjunctival xerosis
4. Bitot’s spots
5. Corneal xerosis
6. Keratomalacia

2. 1.XEROPTHALMIA
 An eye disease caused by vitamin A deficiency,
marked by dryness and ulceration of the conjunctiva
and cornea.
 If untreated, it may cause blindness.
 Etiology:
a. Dietary deficiency:
 Lack of food
 Lack of knowledge
 Low socioeconomic condition
 Faulty eating habit

3. b. Defective absorption:
 Chronic diarrhoea
 Malabsorption
 Inflammatory bowel syndrome
c. Increase utilization of vitamin A
 Pregnancy
 Growing age (6months- 6 yrs)
 Viral diseases e.g. measles
d. PEM & infection

4. WHO CLASSIFICATION :
i. XN : Night blindness
ii. X1A: Conjunctival xerosis
iii. X1B: Bitot’s spot
iv. X2: Corneal xerosis
v. X3A: Keratomalacia/ Corneal ulcer with ≤1/3
corneal involvement.
vi. X3B: Keratomalacia/ Corneal ulcer with ≥ 1/3
corneal involvement.
vii. XS: Corneal scar due to xerophthalmia.
viii.XF: Xerophthalmic fundus

5. Management:
i. Local ocular therapy: for conjunctival xerosis-
artificial tear drop.
ii. Vitamin A therapy:
 Above the age of 1 year 2 lakh IU of vitamin
A/oral 6 monthly.
 6 months to 1yrs (<8 kg) 1 lakh IU of vit. A /oral
6 monthly.
 Less than 6months 50,000 IU of vit. A 1st,2nd
days and 2 weeks.

6. iii. Treatment of underlying condition :
 PEM & other nutritional disorders infection.
 Diarrhoea, parasitic condition.
iv. Prophylaxis:
 Routine supplement of vit. A according to
national schedule.
 Public awareness
 Increase the intake of vit. A containing food.
 Routine vaccination (e.g. Measles)

7. 2. Blindness
 Best corrected ‘visual acuity of less than 3/60
(snellen’s) or its equivalent’ or inability to count
finger in day light at a distance of 3 meters.
Causes:
 Cataract
 Trachoma
 Glaucoma
 Xerophthalmia
 Trauma/ injury
 Corneal opacity
 others

8. CONJUNCTIVAL XEROSIS

9. BITOT’S SPOTS

10. CORNEAL XEROSIS

11. KERATOMALACIA