Drug reference
Vitamin A deficiency ▶BY MOUTH ▶Child 1–11 months: 5000 units daily, to be taken with or after food, higher doses may be used initially for treatment of severe deficiency ▶Child 1–17 years: 10 000 units daily, to be taken with or after food, higher doses may be used initially for treatment of severe deficiency l UNLICENSED USE Preparations containing only vitamin A are not licensed.
PDF page 1162
→Appendix 1: vitamin A
PDF page 1162
Overdose Massive overdose can cause rough skin, dry hair, an enlarged liver, and increases in erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum calcium and serum alkaline phosphatase concentration.
PDF page 1162
Excessive doses may be teratogenic. In view of evidence suggesting that high levels of vitamin A may cause birth defects, women who are (or may become) pregnant are advised not to take vitamin A supplements (including tablets and fish liver oil drops), except on the advice of a doctor or an antenatal clinic; nor should they eat liver or products such as liver paté or liver sausage.
PDF pages 1162, 1163
Theoretical risk of toxicity in infants of mothers taking large doses.
PDF page 1163
Treatment is sometimes initiated with very high doses of vitamin A and the child should be monitored closely; very high doses are associated with acute toxicity.
PDF page 1163
There can be variation in the licensing of different medicines containing the same drug. Forms available from special-order manufacturers include: oral drops, solution for injection Oral drops ▶Arovit (Imported (Italy)) Vitamin A 150000 unit per 1 ml Arovit 150,000units/ml drops | 7.5 ml P s Combinations available: Vitamins A, C and D, p. 1140 VITAMINS AND TRACE ELEMENTS › VITAMIN B GROUP
PDF page 1163
5000 units daily, to be taken with or
First-line fragment. Read the complete Indications and Dose section above.
PDF page 1162
10 000 units daily, to be taken with or
First-line fragment. Read the complete Indications and Dose section above.
PDF page 1162
