The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians Urges Physicians and Hospitals to Utilize IV Vitamin C to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Association calls for increased use of this effective and affordable intervention.
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), representing 8,000 licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) in the United States, encourages healthcare practitioners on the front lines of treating moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 to utilize intravenous Vitamin C (IVC, also known as IV Ascorbic Acid) as an adjunctive measure in the care of their patients.
Naturopathic doctors are the nation's foremost experts in natural therapeutics and have extensive training in drug-nutrient and drug-herb interactions. Drawing from our long history of safe and effective use of intravenous Vitamin C, we urge our medical colleagues to incorporate this treatment from the naturopathic medicine toolkit immediately in an effort to save lives and reduce long-term morbidity. While we applaud the use of IVC by a small number of hospitals in the U.S., it unfortunately remains a rarely utilized intervention.
There currently is no definitive, evidence-based treatment for COVID-19. Due to the unusual and extreme clinical demands of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, IVC has been implemented in some Chinese hospitals, and data published (English translation) by the "Expert Group on Clinical Treatment of New Coronavirus Disease in Shanghai" details the use of IVC as effective adjunctive care of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Patients receiving IVC experienced shorter hospital stays and lower mortality, allowing greater access to intensive care resources (including ventilators) for other vulnerable patients.
This recent data for this novel virus expands upon the extensive use of IVC in clinically relevant circumstances, including reduced mortality (1, 2, 3) in patients with sepsis and ARDS as well as shortened ICU stays and reduced need for ventilators in critically ill patients. Intravenous Vitamin C is a generally safe (with rare, notable exceptions), cost-effective, and well-tolerated intervention even in the most critical patients when delivered based on appropriate clinical guidelines alongside existing treatments. Though further research is always warranted, time is of the essence to treat those who are in need of solutions today.
To ensure the broadest access for the most vulnerable patients, at this time the AANP encourages IVC use be reserved for high-risk and hospitalized patients. All providers administering this intervention must adhere to established safety protocols for using Personal Protective Equipment and disinfection. In hospital situations where IVC is preferred but unavailable, high dose oral use is indicated. Further, the AANP strongly advises that any individual considering the use of Vitamin C either orally or IV, consult their physician.
Paul Anderson, ND, member of the AANP's COVID-19 Clinical Task Force and expert on intravenous use of Vitamin C, stated, "I have used IVC safely and effectively in both clinical and hospital practice for over twenty years. After reviewing the dosing, guidelines, and experiences of the hospitals in China, the evidence shows that the use of IVC in hospitalized COVID-19 patients has a high probability of reducing hospital stay duration and improving outcomes."
The AANP calls on federal, state and local authorities to support the clinical use of IVC as an adjunct to current treatments offered to hospitalized patients. Licensed naturopathic doctors work collaboratively across all branches of medicine, and in regulated states NDs are already integrated into healthcare systems. Serving in primary and specialty care, NDs are ready, willing, and able to support other medical professionals in changing the trajectory of this public health crisis. NDs are available as a resource to physicians and organizations looking for clinical guidance in the proper use of this intervention.
AANP President, Robert Kachko, ND, LAc, adds, "In these unprecedented times, we must utilize all safe and effective clinical tools available to us. Extensive hospital use of intravenous Vitamin C has the potential to save many lives."
The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and its affiliated organizations will remain a resource to our colleagues in health and medicine, working to limit this pandemic and ensure the continued health and safety of our population.
About the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) is the professional association that represents licensed naturopathic physicians. AANP strives to make naturopathic medicine available to every American, and to increase recognition of naturopathic physicians as the identified authorities on natural medicine. Learn more at http://www.naturopathic.org.
SOURCE American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
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