Vitamin C for treating tetanus

Intravenous vitamin C might possibly reduce death rates in people with tetanus in resource-poor settings, but the results are based on a single poor quality and poorly reported controlled trial. There are no evaluations of vitamin C as a prevention for tetanus.

A Cochrane review included 1 study with a total of 117 subjects. The study was undertaken in Bangladesh. Vitamin C at a dosage of 1 g/day was administered intravenously in the treatment of tetanus patients alongside conventional treatment. At recruitment, the participants were stratified into two age groups and the results were reported by age. In the children aged 1 to 12 years (n = 62), vitamin C treatment was associated with a 100% reduction in tetanus mortality (95% confidence interval from -100% to -94%). In people aged 13 to 30 years (n = 55), vitamin C treatment was associated with a 45% reduction in tetanus mortality (95% confidence interval from -69% to -5%).

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (several issues) and poor reporting.

Ədəbiyyat

1. Hemilä H, Koivula TT. Vitamin C for preventing and treating tetanus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008 Apr 16;(2):CD006665 [Review content assessed as up-to-date: 18 November 2009].
2. Hemilä H, Koivula T. Vitamin C for preventing and treating tetanus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;11():CD006665. .