Key Takeaway
IV vitamin C reduced short-term mortality and ICU length of stay in sepsis and septic shock patients, with greater benefits seen in higher-dose protocols.
Summary
This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluated the clinical outcomes of intravenous vitamin C therapy in patients with sepsis or septic shock. Published in Critical Care, a high-impact journal, it synthesized evidence from multiple RCTs to assess mortality, ICU length of stay, and other clinical endpoints.
The analysis found that IV vitamin C was associated with reduced short-term mortality and shorter ICU stays in sepsis and septic shock patients. Subgroup analyses suggested that higher vitamin C doses and longer treatment durations may produce greater benefits. The results were particularly notable for septic shock patients, who represent the most critically ill subset.
The authors noted that while the overall evidence supports a potential role for IV vitamin C as an adjunctive therapy in sepsis management, the heterogeneity across included trials and variations in dosing regimens call for standardized, large-scale RCTs to confirm these findings and establish optimal dosing protocols.
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