Pharmacokinetic data support 6-hourly dosing of intravenous vitamin C to critically ill patients with septic shock

Abstract

Objectives: To study vitamin C pharmacokinetics in septic shock. Design: Prospective pharmacokinetic study. Setting: Two intensive care units. Participants: Twenty-one patients with septic shock enrolled in a randomised trial of high dose vitamin C therapy in septic shock. Intervention: Patients received 1.5 g intravenous vitamin C every 6 hours. Plasma samples were obtained before and at 1, 4 and 6 hours after drug administration, and vitamin C concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Main outcome measures: Clearance, volume of distribution, and half-life were calculated using non-compartmental analysis. Data are presented as median (interquartile range [IQR])..