Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40400032›Full record

Trial reportJournal of cardiothoracic surgery2025

Ascorbic acid and microcirculation in cardiothoracic surgery: a pilot feasibility trial and matched cohort study.

Patrick M Wieruszewski, Misty A Radosevich, Scott D Nei, Kianoush B Kashani, Sarah E Normand, Hartzell V Schaff, Erica D Wittwer

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of cardiothoracic surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03744702 (Pilot Study for Determining the Impact of Ascorbic Acid Treatment on the Development and Treatment of Vasodilation in Cardiac Surgery), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03744702 early_phase1completednot on this map

Pilot Study for Determining the Impact of Ascorbic Acid Treatment on the Development and Treatment of Vasodilation in Cardiac Surgery

TypeinterventionalSponsorMayo ClinicRan2019 to 2021Enrolled15ConditionsVasoplegiaArmsAscorbic Acid
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Patrick M WieruszewskiDepartment of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, RO_MB_GR_722PH, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA. wieruszewski.patrick@mayo.edu.
Misty A RadosevichDepartment of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, RO_MB_GR_722PH, Rochester, MN, USA.
Scott D NeiDepartment of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, RO_MB_GR_722PH, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Kianoush B KashaniDepartment of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Sarah E NormandDepartment of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic, Eau Claire, WI, USA.
Hartzell V SchaffDepartment of Cardiovascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Erica D WittwerDepartment of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, RO_MB_GR_722PH, Rochester, MN, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAscorbic acid is an essential cofactor of catecholamine synthesis that increases capillary bed density and improves microcirculation perfusion. We hypothesized early ascorbic acid administration in cardiothoracic surgery would preserve the microcirculatory integrity and minimize postoperative vasoplegia.

methodsThis was a single-arm pilot feasibility study of adults undergoing septal myectomy combined with valve intervention or alone using cardiopulmonary bypass. Intravenous ascorbic acid 1,500 mg was administered before and immediately following cardiopulmonary bypass and every 6 h after for 12 doses. Three historical controls were identified and matched to each trial participant on age, gender, body mass index, preoperative ejection fraction, surgery performed, and time on cardiopulmonary bypass. The feasibility endpoint was a composite of successful and timely 1) ascorbic acid administration, 2) laboratory assessment, and 3) microcirculation measurements across the perioperative phases of care. Clinical endpoints included vasoplegia incidence, acute kidney injury, and lengths of stay compared to controls.

resultsFifteen patients were enrolled and compared to 45 historically matched controls. Participants' median baseline plasma ascorbic acid concentration was 0.5 (0.3, 0.9) mg/dL. Four (27%) patients had suboptimal concentrations. Eleven participants (75%) did not meet the feasibility composite endpoint due to the inability of microcirculation measurement. Incidence of vasoplegia and acute kidney injury, vasopressor duration, and lengths of stay were similar between participants and historical controls. No drug-related adverse events were noted.

conclusionsTimely microcirculation measurements were challenging in the complex cardiothoracic surgery environment. Compared to historical controls, no meaningful differences in clinical endpoints were noted with ascorbic acid treatment. The utility of ascorbic acid on post-cardiopulmonary bypass vasoplegia remains unclear.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03744702, registered on November 14, 2018).

Indexed as

Ascorbic AcidCardiac Surgical ProceduresCardiopulmonary BypassMicrocirculationPostoperative ComplicationsVasoplegiaAdultAgedFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsAscorbic AcidCardiopulmonary bypassMicrocirculationShockVasodilationVasoplegiaVitamin C

Identifiers

PMID40400032
PMCPMC12096601

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.