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@AANP put out a press release calling for the use of Vitamin C ]in what they variously describe as “moderate to severe cases of COVID-19” & “high risk and hospitalized patients”. This statement is grossly ill-advised & arrogant. 1/ https://www.prweb.com/releases/the_american_association_of_naturopathic_physicians_urges_physicians_and_hospitals_to_utilize_iv_vitamin_c_to_combat_the_covid_19_pandemic/prweb17016592.htm
The question of whether or not Vitamin C should be administered should not be decided based on poorly substantiated pleas from the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. 2/
That decision should be made based on the judgment of critical care specialists & their evaluation of the conventional medical research in this area. 3/
NDs are not critical care specialists. MDs who are not critical specialists have the humility to recognize the scope of their practice. NDs should exercise the same humility. 4/
The AANP bases its claims upon cherry-picked, out-of-context citations. Chief is a reference to a Chinese medical journal at [ http://rs.yiigle.com/yufabiao/1183266.htm]. 5/
This Chinese medical journal article appears to be a set of ‘working notes’ from a group of doctors in Shanghai, based upon their experience with COVID-19. It’s a battlefield dispatch, not a government declaration. 6/
The Chinese journal article makes no claims and gives no outcomes. It’s meant to help other ICU doctors in the diagnosis & treatment of COVID-19. CAM citations for this CM article are misleading and out of context. 7/ https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/no-the-shanghai-government-has-not-recommended-intravenous-vitamin-c-as-a-treatment-for-covid-19/
The AANP PR cites the CITRIS-Ali trial. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31573637 While this trial did find a reduction in mortality, that was a secondary endpoint, and it requires further exploration. There are 3-4 other citations. 8/
Curiously, in the past the AANP has avoided issuing position papers on matters of crucial importance, such as vaccines. The AANP frequently avoids issuing clinical guidlines, citing variations in practice among NDs. 9/
So why rush to issue guidelines on IV Vit C in COVID19?
The AANP PR appears to weakly hint that NDs could be used in hospitals, caring for moderate and severely ill patients. 10/
The AANP PR appears to weakly hint that NDs could be used in hospitals, caring for moderate and severely ill patients. 10/
The AANP PR hedges as to whether IV Vitamin C should be used only for hospitalized patients, or for “at risk” patients. 11/
Were I less charitable, I might speculate that the AANP was attempting to establish a basis for the use of Vitamin C in COVID-19 . Perhaps in the hope that this would allow it to be legally advertised as a “treatment” by NDs. 12/
Finally, it’s arrogant to cite one individual ND as an expert in a field that is not his specialty. IT is also arrogant to claim that NDs are the experts regarding the use of IV vitamin C. Where then are the trials and research by NDs? 13/
The work that has been done on IV Vitamin C has been done by conventional researchers, on the basis of conventional medical theories. Naturopathic medicine has not furthered this use, other than in case studies from private practice. 14/
@AANP should not give critical specialists advice regarding care of COVID-19 patients. Focus on helping those that NDs can realistically help, using evidence based and science based medicine. There are NDs who do this. 15/
h/t to @drbrignall for the http://healthfeedback.org review of the claims made for IV Vitamin C by various CAM sources. And for addressing this release as well. 16/
