The Effect of Thiamine and Vitamin C Combination on Mortality Rate of Patients with Severe Sepsis: A Randomized Control Clinical Trial Study

Abstract

Background: Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by the body's deregulated response to infection, in turn causing injury to its own tissues and organs. The present study investigated the effect of co-administration of thiamine and vitamin C on reducing mortality in patients with severe sepsis.Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 86 patients with severe sepsis were assigned to treatment and control groups, each comprising 43 patients. The treatment group received thiamine 600 mg orally every 12 hours and vitamin C at a dose of 50 mg / kg, intravenously daily for 96 hours alongside standard treatment and the control group received standard treatment. Therapeutic outcome (recovery or death), duration of hospitalization and duration of ventilator connection were recorded for patients in both groups. Also, procalcitonin level (PCT) and CRP levels were measured and recorded at the beginning and after 96 hours.Findings: The odds ratio of death outcome in the treatment group was significantly lower than the control group (0.913-0.116: 95% CI, P = 0.033, OR = 0.32). The mean length of hospital stay in the treatment group was about 7 days that was less than the control group significantly. The mean length of ICU hospitalization in the treatment group was less than the control group significantly too.Conclusion: Co-administration of vitamin C and thiamine in sepsis patients can reduce the length of hospital stay in the intensive care unit and hospital and also reduce the serum level of inflammatory factors and reduce the rate of death in these patients.

Keywords

• ascorbic acid
• mortality
• procalcitonin
• sepsis
• thiamine