The Effect of High Dose Parenteral Ascorbic Acid On Microcirculation In Sepsis

The Effect of High Dose Parenteral Ascorbic Acid On Microcirculation In Sepsis. Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of high-dose ascorbic acid on microcirculation in sepsis.

Adult patients with septic shock were enrolled within 24 hours following admission to the Central Department of Intensive Care in Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Hospital Kaunas Clinics.

Participants were randomly assigned to a placebo or ascorbic acid group in a 1:1 ratio. They were resuscitated according to Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines. Additionally, they received an intravenous infusion of ascorbic acid either placebo. The dose of ascorbic acid was 200mg/kg/24h divided into four equal parts for 96 hours. Sublingual microcirculatory measurements were obtained, using an incident dark field (IDF) device.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with sepsis or septic shock within the first 24 hours after ICU admission.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 18 years,
• Pregnancy,
• Advanced malignancy,
• History of kidney stone, glucose-6-phosphate deficiency, hemochromatosis, or solid organ transplantation,
• Oral mucosal inflammation or injury or technical difficulties in obtaining sublingual images.