High-Dose Vitamin C Did Not Clearly Benefit Patients with Sepsis and Respiratory Failure

In a widely publicized, single-center observational study, published in 2017, the combination of vitamin C, thiamine, and glucocorticoids improved outcomes in patients with sepsis; some clinicians began treating patients routinely with this cocktail (NEJM JW Gen Med Aug 15 2017 and Chest 2017; 151:1199). In a new study, investigators from 7 U.S. medical centers randomized 167 patients with sepsis and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome to receive either high-dose intravenous vitamin C or placebo for 4 days. Thiamine and glucocorticoids were not a part of the studied regimen, although two thirds of patients in both groups received glucocorticoids.

No significant differences were recorded for any of the primary outcomes: Organ failure s…