Define Criteria for Assessment of Vitamin K Status?
The parameters of blood clotting time and prothrombin time are used as criteria to assess vitamin K status as this vitamin is vital for the formation of the factors involved in blood coagulation especially prothrombin. A normal prothrombin time is considered to be between 11 and 13 seconds, while duration greater than 25 seconds is associated with major bleeding. In addition, maintenance of plasma prothrombin concentrations in the range 80-120 mg/ml suggests adequate vitamin K status.