The Effect of Vitamin C in Preventing Vancomycin-Induced Nephrotoxicity; A Randomized Clinical Trial Study

Vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity is a common complication in patients under treatment with this drug, but no single theory has been proposed for prevention of this damage. The purpose of this study was to determine the beneficial effect of vitamin C in the preventing vancomycin-induced renal disease.

In a clinical trial study, 96 patients treated with vancomycin were divided into two equal groups, in the first group 500 mg oral vitamin C was administered twice daily for ten days and in the control group, no intervention was performed. Patients in the two groups were evaluated at baseline, and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days later for serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, and renal toxicity, and the results were compared.

The incidence of vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity was 3 and 6 patients in the intervention and control groups (6.25% vs. 12%), respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.320). However, the relative risk (RR) of vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity in the control group was 4.1 times that of the vitamin C group [RR = 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-15.4; P = 0.034].

Vitamin C intake reduces the risk of vancomycin-induced renal toxicity; it is recommended, as is useful in preventing oxidative stress poisoning.