Vitamin C Therapy

There has been considerable controversy about the use of vitamin C in critically ill patients with sepsis, as although it was essentially an unproven treatment, it had strong proponents who encouraged its use. Researchers from the MRINZ collaborated with investigators from Australia, Brazil, Canada and France to conduct a landmark clinical trial investigating the use of intravenous vitamin C therapy in critically ill patients with sepsis.

This study, known as the Lessening Organ Dysfunction with Vitamin C (LOVIT) trial, hypothesised that administering a high dose of vitamin C would decrease the 28-day risk of death or further organ damage in such patients more than when given a placebo.

Among adults with sepsis in the ICU, this trial shows that high-dose intravenous vitamin C increases the risk of death or persistent organ dysfunction, compared to those who do not receive the treatment. This large clinical trial delivers possibly the final blow to vitamin C use in the ICU.

Clinical trials like this are critical for examining interventions which, despite not being supported by a strong evidence base, have become standard care in some health systems.