A major clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine examines whether sodium bicarbonate helps or hinders survival in critically ill adults with a dangerous drop in blood acidity.
The New England Journal of Medicine has published findings from the SODa-BIC trial, a study looking at the use of sodium bicarbonate — a salt compound commonly used to correct metabolic acidosis (when the blood becomes too acidic) — in adults who are critically ill and in shock. The research appears alongside an editorial titled Sodium Bicarbonate in Critical Illness — A New Chapter for the Book, suggesting the findings may shift how intensive care teams approach this treatment.
Metabolic acidosis in shock is a life-threatening condition seen in intensive care units. When the body can’t maintain the right chemical balance in the blood, organs begin to fail. Sodium bicarbonate has long been used to try to correct this imbalance, but its benefit has remained contested among specialists in nephrology (kidney medicine) and emergency medicine.
The journal posted details of both the trial and the accompanying editorial on its official account. This article is based on details shared by the journal on its official account.
Source: @NEJM