KCE-191237: Early administration of Vitamin C in patients with sepsis or septic shock in emergency departments: a multicentre, double blinded, randomized controlled trial - C-EASIE

Summary (French or Dutch)

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a vitamin found in various foods. After almost a century of in vitro experiments and animal based studies, there is an abundance of plausible data for the protective effects of Vitamin C. Also its safety has been well established over the years.

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by a deregulated body’s response to infection causing injury to its own tissues and organs. It is the primary cause of death from infection, especially if not recognized and treated timely. Untreated it can evolve within minutes/hours to septic shock. It is associated with an acute deficiency of Vitamin C and studies have reported that high doses of intravenous Vitamin C could reduce organ injury and improve survival.

With the C-EASIE trial, the investigators plan to conduct a prospective, multicentre, randomised, double blinded trial in patients presenting at the emergency department with sepsis or septic shock to test whether the early intravenous administration of high doses of Vitamin C (1.5 g bolus, 4 times a day during 4 days) can prevent deterioration from sepsis to septic shock or lead to a more rapid solution of the when compared to placebo. If positive, the early administration of Vitamin C could result in a faster patient recovery and shorter length of hospital stay.