The Effect of Vitamin C on Pathological Parameters and Survival Duration of Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Frontiers in Immunology
Q1
Dec 2021
Citations:52
Influential Citations:8
Interventional (Human) Studies
87
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Enhanced Details

Methods
Double-blind, randomized clinical trial; 100 critically ill adults with COVID-19 analyzed (31 in vitamin C group, 69 in control); age 35–75; ICU with enteral nutrition; Rasht, Iran; May–July 2020.
Intervention
One capsule of 500 mg vitamin C daily for 14 days, added to enteral feeding.
Results
Vitamin C supplementation did not affect kidney function, ABG parameters, Glasgow Coma Scale, CBC, or serum electrolytes (Na, Ca, P). It increased 14-day post-intervention survival (16.1% vs 2.9%) and showed a linear positive association between days of vitamin C intake and survival duration (B = 1.66, p < 0.001), persisting after adjustments for age, BMI, APACHE II, comorbidities, ventilator use, and nutrition therapy. Serum potassium remained stable in the vitamin C group (3.92→3.93 mEq/L) while rose in control (3.75→4.21), with all values within the normal range. Daily 500 mg vitamin C may extend survival in critically ill COVID-19 patients without major adverse effects; further studies with longer duration and different doses are warranted.
Limitations
Did not measure serum vitamin C levels; dose was low (500 mg/day) due to safety concerns; potassium changes observed but remained within the normal range; survival data collected only up to 14 days post-intervention; length of stay and ventilator-free days were not collected; inflammatory/immunological markers not measured; mechanism not proven; study conducted at a single hospital in Rasht, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction Vitamin C has been reported to have beneficial effects on patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin C supplementation on pathological parameters and survival duration of crit...