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Vitamin C for Vasoplegia After Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Case Series

Patrick M Wieruszewski1, Scott D Nei1, Simon Maltais2

  • 1From the Departments of Pharmacy.

A&A Practice
|April 11, 2018
PubMed

Insights

High-dose vitamin C may help treat cardiac vasoplegia after heart surgery. This vitamin, essential for catecholamine synthesis, reduced vasopressor needs in three refractory patients, suggesting a novel therapeutic avenue.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cardiac vasoplegia, a common complication post-cardiopulmonary bypass, presents limited treatment options for refractory cases.
  • Vasopressor-refractory vasoplegia significantly increases morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery patients.

Observation:

  • Three patients with vasopressor-refractory vasoplegia post-cardiac surgery were treated with high-dose intravenous ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
  • Ascorbic acid acts as a cofactor in endogenous catecholamine synthesis.

Findings:

  • All three patients demonstrated reduced vasopressor requirements after ascorbic acid administration.
  • Two patients were successfully weaned off norepinephrine within 24 hours of treatment.

Implications:

  • Intravenous ascorbic acid shows potential as a novel therapeutic agent for cardiac vasoplegia.
  • Further rigorous prospective studies are warranted to validate these preliminary findings and establish efficacy.

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