Vitamin C cocktail for sepsis: randomized trials to test efficacy
Since Marik et al announced exceptional survival rates among patients with septic shock given a cocktail of vitamin C, thiamine, and hydrocortisone, physicians taking care of septic patients have expressed both enthusiasm and skepticism about the cocktail’s reported lifesaving effects.
Soon, more rigorous testing from randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trials should provide harder data about the sepsis cocktail's efficacy.
Jonathan Sevransky, MD of Emory University announced plans for a clinical trial enrolling between 500 and 2,000 patients at multiple centers over about 18 months, completing by the end of 2019. Patients with septic shock would get either the cocktail, or placebo. Mortality will be tested, as well as days free of vasopressors or a ventilator. The study will be funded by a private foundation.
Michael Donnino, MD of Harvard’s Beth Israel plans to enroll 200 patients at multiple centers, also testing the cocktail vs. placebo in patients with septic shock. Organ failure, mortality, and other outcomes will be compared. Major funding will come from the Open Philanthropy Project. The study should be completed in the autumn of 2019.
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have concluded a randomized study enrolling 170 patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ARDS), testing vitamin C vs. placebo on outcomes of organ failure, inflammatory biomarkers and ventilator support needs. Results have not been published at this writing.
Source: clinicaltrials.gov