Low levels of vitamin D are associated with nosocomial infections but not with short-term mortality in critically ill patients

Background/aim: A prospective observational study was conducted to determine the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and nosocomial infections among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Materials and methods: Demographic data, season of admission, vitamin D levels at admission, premorbid lifestyle scores, comorbid conditions, and admission diagnosis were recorded in 306 ICU patients. Infections that developed at least 48 h after admission to the ICU were the primary outcome, and ICU, hospital, and 1-year mortality were the secondary outcomes. Infections were evaluated for 28 days, and for the entire duration of ICU stay independently. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to control for confounding factors that were statistically significant in univariate analysis. Results: All infection and mortality rates were significantly higher in low 25 (OH) D groups in univariate analysis. After adjusting for confounding factors, infection rates remained higher in the deficient group. However, ICU and hospital mortality did not show any statistically significant difference between deficient and nondeficient groups. Only the 1-year mortality rate was significantly higher among patients with 25 (OH) D levels less than 20 ng/mL. Conclusion: Low vitamin D levels are significantly associated with ICU-related infections but not with ICU or hospital mortality. However, further studies are needed to identify the role of vitamin D deficiency in predicting ICU outcomes.