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Vitamin C Deficiency in Critically Ill Children: Prospective Observational Cohort Study

Alireza Fathi1,2, Corcoran Downey1, Aida Rabiee Gohar2

  • 1Pediatric Critical Care Unit, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, Long Beach, CA.

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies
|May 18, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Vitamin C deficiency is common in critically ill children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This study found 18% of PICU patients had a deficiency, compared to none in non-critical care patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  • Nutritional Science
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Vitamin C is essential for immune function and critical illness recovery.
  • Nutritional deficiencies can exacerbate outcomes in critically ill pediatric patients.
  • Data on vitamin C status in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) populations is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in critically ill children.
  • To compare vitamin C levels in critically ill children versus non-critically ill children undergoing sedation.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective observational cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary-care teaching hospital.
  • Two groups were studied: critically ill children in the PICU (n=60) and non-critically ill children undergoing elective outpatient procedures (n=21).
  • Vitamin C levels were measured within 24 hours of PICU admission and before sedation in the non-critical group.

Main Results:

  • Vitamin C deficiency was identified in 18% (11/60) of critically ill children in the PICU.
  • No vitamin C deficiency was observed in the non-critical care group (0/21).
  • The difference in vitamin C deficiency between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Vitamin C deficiency is prevalent in critically ill children admitted to the PICU.
  • These findings highlight the need for monitoring and potentially supplementing vitamin C in this vulnerable population.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the clinical impact and optimal management strategies for vitamin C deficiency in pediatric critical illness.
Abstract

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