The action of Vitamin C in the coagulation process: an experimental in vitro study

Abstract

<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR; mso-fareast-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Vitamin C is empirically used by nurses to unblock long-term venous catheters. The study aims at analyzing the action of vitamin C in the coagulation process, establishing an in vitro <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>coagulation model and fibrinolysis. It is an in vitro experimental<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>study of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the total blood of 10 healthy volunteers and 13 pools of citrated plasma. The results showed reduction of serum D-dimer with statistical significance when treated with vitamin C before and after clot formation. The weight of clots in blood presented significant reduction only when treated with vitamin C before the clotting process. However, when using vitamin C after clot formation a change is noticed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in its structure and consistency. There were no significant differences in the weight of fibrin clots. It was concluded that vitamin C acts with greater intensity during the pre-clot formation phase and with less intensity in the two subsequent hours.</span></p>

Keywords

• Ascorbic Acid
• Thrombosis
• Nursing
• Catheter