High Dose IV Vitamin C Linked To Fast Recovery In COVID-19 Patient
The first case of a COVID 19 patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who recovered early following the IV administration of high-dose vitamin C was published in the American Journal of Case Reports.
About the case:
A 74-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with fever, cough, and shortness of breath. She had no recent sick contacts or travel history.
The vital signs were normal except for oxygen saturation of 87% and bilateral rhonchi on lung auscultation.
Chest radiography revealed air space opacity in the right upper lobe, suspicious for pneumonia.
A nasopharyngeal swab for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 came back positive while the patient was in the airborne-isolation unit.
Laboratory data showed lymphopenia and elevated lactate dehydrogenase, ferritin, and interleukin-6.
The patient was initially started on oral hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.
On day 6, she developed ARDS and septic shock, for which mechanical ventilation and pressor support were started, along with the infusion of high-dose intravenous vitamin C.
The patient improved clinically and was able to be taken off mechanical ventilation within 5 days.
Takeaways:
The case report highlights the potential benefits of high-dose intravenous vitamin C in critically ill COVID-19 patients in terms of rapid recovery and shortened length of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay.
