A common form of vitamin C has shown efficacy for the treatment of sepsis
Sodium ascorbate has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of sepsis in a phase I clinical trial.Researchers from the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Australia have used the sodium salt of ascorbic acid (sodium ascorbate) for the therapy of sepsis. A phase I clinical trial, conducted as a double-blind randomized trial, demonstrated the efficacy and safety of the treatment.
The study involved 30 patients admitted to the intensive care unit with septic shock. The researchers randomly divided them into two groups of 15 each. Half were given a megadose of sodium ascorbate intravenously (30 g for 1 hour followed by 30 g for 5 hours), while the control group received a placebo.
The study showed that patients with sepsis who received vitamin C had increased urine output as early as the first 24 hours, indicating improved kidney function. They also required less norepinephrine to restore blood pressure to normal levels, and improvements were seen in multiple organ function.
Sepsis occurs when the immune system fails to fight an underlying infection, causing life-threatening drops in blood pressure, multi-organ failure and death. Sepsis causes millions of deaths worldwide each year and is responsible for 35-50% of all hospital deaths.
Previously, vitamin C was already used to treat sepsis: doctors prescribed high doses of ascorbic acid. But studies have shown that such therapy is associated with the risk of dangerous side effects due to an increase in the body's acidity (acidosis). Sodium ascorbate, a pH-balanced form of vitamin C, as shown in clinical trials, does not cause such an effect.
The researchers plan to conduct a second phase of clinical trials involving more patients in the near future to confirm the effectiveness of the therapy.