The North Wales Branch of The Royal College of Nursing leads the way!

Oct 9, 2017 | Education | 7 comments

On October the 2nd 2017 the first North Wales RCN CPD Conference, included B12 deficiency thanks to
Dr Marjorie Ghisoni.

This fantastic CPD Conference offered a range of inspiring talks for the nurses in attendance.

I was honoured to be speaking on a subject I’m so passionate about and just a stones throw from my first school.


Dr Marjorie Ghisoni, Kate Parry, Tracey Witty, Susie Griffiths.

During my presentation – ‘How often is B12 deficiency missed?‘ I used case studies and documents which detailed the many issues B12 deficient patients face, including the limitations and low reference ranges of the serum B12 test and the harmful, restricted UK treatment regime. Explaining that severe neurological and psychiatric symptoms of B12 deficiency very often precede anaemia and the misconception that only patients with a confirmed diagnosis of pernicious anaemia need B12 injections.

It was important to make the point that all cases of B12 deficiency, whatever the cause, are serious and require correct treatment. Unfortunately letters like the one above are regularly sent out to patients to stop vital treatment with a lack of knowledge of the harm they will cause to the recipient.

It was crucial to me that delegates were given tools to help identify B12 deficiency in their patients. The presentation helped to give the nurses an understanding of how to advocate for their patients who were diagnosed but under treated and for screening for those they think may be at risk of B12 deficiency.

To finish off the morning, Susie Griffiths then spoke about her personal experience of B12 deficiency and it’s effect on her family.

If you’d like more information on the education of B12 deficiency, please contact me.

Afternoon Workshop

Most of the discussion in the afternoon workshop was centred around the shock these nurses felt that this vital information was missed from their training and that of most clinicians.

What they learned meant that there was a realisation that so many of the patients they work with are at huge risk of B12 deficiency, due not only to their poor mental health, but also due to the wide use of metformin in this group of patients.

It was a surprise to many that the reference range in North wales is amongst the lowest at 150 ng/L and that ranges all over the UK differ. They left knowing that this complex condition is simple and easy to treat and could clearly see why lack of education and current practice leads to common misdiagnoses.

These nurses, who are passionate about their patients well being, will take this newly acquired information into practice and the patients under their care will directly benefit. The RCN North Wales Branch is proud to be leading the way!

A few evaluations from the day;

Must learn more about this subject. Extremely interesting, very knowledgeable speaker who is obviously passionate about raising awareness of B12 deficiency. I had a lack of knowledge before this session, it has encouraged me to research this topic.

Would be good to present to a multidisciplinary forum including GPs and junior doctors.

I found your session absolutely fascinating and I will visit the website to further my understanding. I had no idea how serious B12 deficiency was, so much of what you explained/shared resonated with me.  Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.

So informative, I will be discussing this at our team meeting including our consultants – looking forward to looking at the website.

Inspirational and thought provoking and will consider in my work.

Another opportunity to raise awareness

In the evening the film ‘Sally Pacholok’ was screened for the villagers of Rhosneigr, Anglesey. If you haven’t seen this film yet it offers a great opportunity to be educated. Please follow use this link to watch.

Bangor University.

The following day Dr Marjorie Ghisoni had arranged for the second and third year Mental Health Nursing Students at Bangor University to be educated about B12 deficiency.  These students will now be able to apply this knowledge to their clinical practice.

From the questions taken afterwards, it was clear just how many of their lives were already effected by ignorance of the condition and the resulting under treatment of B12 deficiency. For so many, the new information provided a huge missing part of a jigsaw. It was heartening to hear that so many planned to further study B12 deficiency in their research projects.

The emails I received within hours of the talks are testament to the fact that if you give people the right information and tools they need, they can achieve a diagnosis and correct treatment. There’s now a whole new band of people badgering their colleagues, friends and family about B12 deficiency and this really is something to celebrate!

The hits on the website and the signatures on the OTC petition show just how inspired they were to make a difference.

It was an honour to be part of helping RCN Members in North Wales Nurses and our future Mental Health Nurses to take the lead in education of B12 deficiency.

Heartfelt thanks to Dr Marjorie Ghisoni for recognising the great need for this training and for making this happen!

Perhaps you need comprehensive training on B12 Deficiency and how it affects patients, or are looking for speakers at your event? If so please get in touch via; tracey@www.b12deficiency.info

Best wishes

Tracey
www.B12deficiency.info

Refs;

2015 Vitamin B12 Deficiency: An Important Reversible Co-Morbidity in Neuropsychiatric Manifestations
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4341306/

2015 Vitamin B12 deficiency: an important reversible co-morbidity in neuropsychiatric manifestations.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25722508

2009. Malignant catatonia in a patient with bipolar disorder, B12 deficiency, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome: one cause or three?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19820558/?i=1&from=b12%20AND%20catatonia

2009 Psychotic disorder and extrapyramidal symptoms associated with vitamin B12 and folate deficiency.(B12 deficiency-psychotic disorder, extrapyramidal symptoms in a 12-year-old boy)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19095695/?i=2&from=b12%20AND%20catatonia

2012. Psychotic disorder, hypertension and seizures associated with vitamin B12 deficiency: a case report.(“…..vitamin B(12) level should be checked in patients who do not have an obvious cause for psychosis, seizures or hypertension.”)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22027500/?i=2&from=B12%20psychosis%20AND%20%22blood%20was%20normal%22

2013. Association between vitamin b12 levels and melancholic depressive symptoms: a Finnish population-based study.(“The vitamin B12 level was associated with melancholic DS but not with non-melancholic DS.)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23705786

2013 Vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as an acute confusional state: a case report and review of literature. (With anaemia)(“Total resolution of the psychiatric symptoms occurred following parenteral vitamin B12 replacement therapy.”)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24250331/?i=1&from=b12%20and%20delirium

2013 Polyglandular autoimmune syndrome disguised as mental illness.(“The diagnosis of her endocrinopathies were likely delayed for many years due to the psychiatric disorder….”)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23632176

2013 Delirium as a result of vitamin B12 deficiency in a vegetarian female patient. (“The neuropsychiatric symptoms may be concurrent or precede the other symptoms.”)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23859997

2013 Cobalamin deficiency: clinical picture and radiological findings. (“Neuropsychiatric symptoms may precede hematologic signs”)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24248213

2013 Decreased whole-blood global DNA methylation is related to serum hormones in anorexia nervosa adolescents.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24286295

2013 Vitamin B12 supplementation in treating major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24339839

2013 Vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as an acute confusional state: a case report and review of literature.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24250331

2014 The neurology of folic acid deficiency.

(“In both deficiency states [b12/folate] there is often dissociation between the neuropsychiatric and the hematologic complications.”)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24365361

2016 Long-term Metformin Use and Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4880159/

2012 Metformin associated B12 deficiency.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22799121

2014 Vitamin B12 status in metformin treated patients: systematic review.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24959880

2016 Association between metformin and vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27130885

2016 Study of Vitamin B12 deficiency and peripheral neuropathy in metformin-treated early Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27730072

2017 Developing a metformin prescribing tool for use in adults with mental illness to reduce medication-related weight gain and cardiovascular risk.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28747113

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7 Comments

  1. Wendy

    Thank You so Much Tracey! Thanks Suzie for sharing with others. This work was incredible! I think getting the nurses involved is a wonderful side to this aspect. They often are more willing to take in the information, and are often a patients direct link between physician and patient. Educating them will help in the long run! And all for the “teach them while they are young” (nursing students) and get corrupted…tee hee. <3 the effort and time you take to help so many. Gratitude from the Heart from the USA. <3

    Reply
    • Tracey Witty

      Thank you Wendy! I agree, our nurses are the people who can and will advocate for their patients. They feel real shock at their lack of training of something so fundamental. Best wishes Tracey x

      Reply
  2. Judith Taylor

    Tracey, your account of this event makes such encouraging reading. If only similar opportunities were widely available to nurses, and even to doctors. My hope is that a day may come when GP practices are encouraged to send at least one of their doctors on a short informational course that will bring them up to date.

    Reply
    • Tracey Witty

      This is my hope too Judith! I hope there will be many more opportunities to come. Best wishes Tracey x

      Reply
  3. Marjorie Ghisoni

    I am amazed at the effect you have have had on the nurses and students in North Wales Tracey – this is true public/ patient engagement at its best! Thank you so much and please keep up the good work even if we wear you out with our constant questions 😉

    Reply
    • Tracey Witty

      Marjorie thank you for opening the door for B12 deficiency education to take place in North Wales! It was my absolute pleasure to be a part of your fantastic CPD event. All the very best, Tracey x

      Reply
  4. Wedgewood

    Thank you so much for this insight . We must spread the word

    Reply

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