Metabolic Clearance of the Antioxidant Ascorbic Acid in Surgical Patients1

Background A reduction of plasma ascorbic acid concentration in the post-operative period has been well documented and is associated with an increase in post-operative complications. The underlying reason for the decreased concentration of ascorbic acid in the plasma is not clear. However, only an increased post-operative requirement for ascorbic acid would justify a substitution. Therefore, we investigated the pre-operative and post-operative metabolic clearance of ascorbic acid. Materials and Methods We calculated the metabolic clearance subsequent to intravenous bolus injection of 6 mg ascorbic acid/kg body weight in 15 patients before and after they underwent major maxillofacial surgery…