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Published in: Intensive Care Medicine 11/2020

01-11-2020 | Septicemia | Editorial

Vitamin C and thiamine for sepsis: time to go back to fundamental principles

Authors: Tomoko Fujii, Robert Fowler, Jean-Louis Vincent

Published in: Intensive Care Medicine | Issue 11/2020

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Excerpt

Vitamin C plays a vital role in human physiology. For decades, intriguing research has highlighted the possibility of acute effects of vitamin C deficiency in patients with sepsis [1]. Vitamin C is a mediator of endothelial function through its co-factor role with many enzymes (including one that catalyses the conversion of dopamine to noradrenaline). Vitamin C also works as an antioxidant by scavenging free radicals (Fig. 1). In animal models of sepsis, exogenous vitamin C increases perfused capillary density and arteriolar vasoconstrictor responsiveness, implying its possible role in treating vasoplegic status in sepsis [2].
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Metadata
Title
Vitamin C and thiamine for sepsis: time to go back to fundamental principles
Authors
Tomoko Fujii
Robert Fowler
Jean-Louis Vincent
Publication date
01-11-2020
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Intensive Care Medicine / Issue 11/2020
Print ISSN: 0342-4642
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1238
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-020-06242-9

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