The Effect of Vitamin C on Pathological Parameters and Survival Duration of Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial
What this study found
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…
- Study & population
- 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.
- Key limitation
- 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…
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Open PDFOriginal 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 critically ill patients with COVID-19. Methods This clinical trial was conducted on 120 hospitalized critically ill patients infected with COVID-19. The intervention group (n = 31) received one capsule of 500 mg of vitamin C daily for 14 days. The control group (n = 69) received the same nutrition except for vitamin C supplements. Measurement of pathological and biochemical parameters was performed at baseline and after 2 weeks of the intervention. Results Following 2 weeks of vitamin C supplementation, the level of serum K was significantly lower in the patients compared with the control group (3.93 vs. 4.21 mEq/L, p < 0.01). Vitamin C supplementation resulted in a higher mean survival duration compared with that of the control group (8 vs. 4 days, p < 0.01). There was a linear association between the number of days of vitamin C intake and survival duration (B = 1.66, p < 0.001). The vitamin C supplementation had no effect on blood glucose, mean arterial pressure, arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), kidney function, cell blood count (CBC), hemoglobin (Hb), platelet (Plt), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), albumin, hematocrit (Hct), and other serum electrolytes including sodium (Na), calcium, and phosphorus (P). Conclusion The present study demonstrated the potential of vitamin C supplementation in enhancing the survival duration of critically ill patients with COVID-19. Clinical Trial Registration https://www.irct.ir/trial/55074, identifier IRCT20151226025699N5