Ascorbic acid aggravates secondary hyperoxalemia in patients on chronic hemodialysis.

Abstract

Brief Reports1 September 1984Ascorbic Acid Aggravates Secondary Hyperoxalemia in Patients on Chronic HemodialysisPETER BALCKE, M.D., PAUL SCHMIDT, M.D., JAN ZAZGORNIK, M.D., HERBERT KOPSA, M.D., ALEXANDER HAUBENSTOCK, M.D.PETER BALCKE, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, PAUL SCHMIDT, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, JAN ZAZGORNIK, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, HERBERT KOPSA, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, ALEXANDER HAUBENSTOCK, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-101-3-344 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptA deficiency in ascorbic acid is found in many patients having chronic hemodialysis treatment, and supplementation is commonly recommended. Ascorbic acid is a metabolic precursor of oxalic acid. Because this compound accumulates during chronic renal insufficiency (1), the administration of ascorbic acid could cause a further increase of plasma oxalic acid levels in patients on chronic hemodialysis.Over a period of 4 weeks, nine patients on chronic hemodialysis (seven men, two women; mean age, 41 years) received 1 g of ascorbic acid intravenously after each dialysis session, or a total dose of 12 g for each patient. The clinical diagnosis...