why do doctors order more vitamin d tests than anything?

Nurses General Nursing

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I notice that doctors order more vitamin d tests than just about anything. anyone know why?

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I've never noticed that.

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

Vitamin D? Where do you work???

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Vitamin D? Where do you work???

I work in a blood systems lab. They process lots of lavenders, tiger tops, frozens, etc. I see many chain of custodies daily and more than about 60% have where the doc. ordered vitamin d, d3, d 25 and d 125. I was curious as to why. They order more of those tests almost than CBC's.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Vitamin D deficiency is being implicated in so many diseases, and so many people are vit. D deficient. Strange that your lab is getting SO many, though.

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Specializes in CVICU.

In my 3 years of nursing, I have never once had a doctor order a vitamin d test.

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While I have not seen the variety of test the op mentioned, I do see it more often these days.I think it Used to be called (eons ago) the "sunshine vitamin" meaning there wasn't a supplement a person could take and that is why milk with Vit D was a big selling point. Don't know why the increase in testing though.

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because the docs got caught "with their pants down" so to speak......the campaign for sunscreen and low fat dairy has dramatically cut into our Vitamin D intake, resulting in a VERY large number of Vit D def persons...if you are going to supplement, D3 is the better, D2 is the one that pharmacies will supply and ins pay for but is of lesser effectiveness....

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
In my 3 years of nursing, I have never once had a doctor order a vitamin d test.

It's not a test that would be ordered in a critical care setting.

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Specializes in still to decide.

It could be a research thing thats going on due to the recent revelations on Vitamin d def.

Just a guess, though!

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Specializes in Medical.

Plus the OP may be working in a lab where vitamin D research is being conducted.

I've seen levels being taken for a while on our renal patients, but there's been a jump in the last couple of years from docs of other units

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Just anecdotal -- I remember when I was having weird shakiness and fatigue, my doctor ordered a vitamin D test. I turned out to be deficient in vitamin D (something I never even considered) and when I started supplements, I was fine. Maybe that is one of the reasons?

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