A vitamin D protocol post‐liver transplantation

Background and purpose Adults with compromised liver function are inherently deficient and especially vulnerable to the consequences of vitamin D deficiency. Consequences of vitamin D deficiency include liver disease progression, infection, and graft failure. A vitamin D supplementation protocol is proposed to systematically optimize serum vitamin D levels according to guidelines in both pre‐ and post‐liver transplanted patients. Methods This quasiexperimental study included a sample of N = 45 post‐liver transplanted patients taking daily cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) 2500 units for 12 weeks, with a pre‐ and post‐lab measure of serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels at a large academic facility. Conclusions Seventy‐eight percent of patients reached minimum guideline levels using the protocol with an average increase of serum vitamin D of 13.8 ng/mL. Long‐term outcomes of clinical significance may include decreased incidence of acute T‐cell‐mediated graft rejection and infections in the immunocompromised patient. Implications for practice Optimizing vitamin D in vulnerable patient populations such as chronic liver disease and the immunosuppressed posttransplanted patient has the potential to curtail complications of vitamin D deficiency. As a result, nurse practitioners employing a vitamin D protocol can create a favorable impact on patient quality of life, safety, and healthcare spending.