No
evidence exists to confidently say that high-dosage Vitamin C therapy is either
safe or effective, ADHB Chief Medical Officer Dr Margaret Wilsher said today.
In light of recent publicity on the issue, Dr Wilsher said she had
asked Auckland City Hospital’s Clinical Practice Committee (CPC) to review the
efficacy of high-dose Vitamin C in the treatment of influenza and other
critical illness.
“In response, the CPC reported that it could not recommend that ADHB
implement this therapy,” Dr Wilsher said.
“The CPC found no evidence that would allow it to say high-dose
Vitamin C treatment is either safe or effective.
“In fact, the lack of evidence resulted in this treatment recording a
score of zero – the lowest score ever given to a health technology assessed by
the CPC.
“Only a suitably-constructed and approved clinical trial could
establish the facts.
“The CPC noted published literature that high cumulative doses or high
intravenous doses of Vitamin C had been associated with renal toxicity.
“The Committee was concerned that a high proportion of influenza
patients treated in the ICU by Auckland District Health Board had co-existent
renal impairment or failure.
“Given the possibility of additional renal toxicity from Vitamin C
therapy, CPC members agreed that - until more is known about the safety profile
of high-dose intravenous therapy – that such therapy only be delivered within
the context of a clinical trial.”