I am the coach for a team of students competing in the 2010 First Lego League Tournament.
One part of this competition requires a research project to be undertaken, a problem defined and a solution proposed. This solution is then presented to a panel of judges on the day of the tournament.
1. Identify a Real World problem
The use of intravenous Vitamin C to treat sepsis is not permitted in many hospitals because no clinical trials have been undertaken to determine it's efficacy. There is a reluctance to use an untrialled medication on patients by doctors, who also consider that high dose Vitamin C is detrimental to health. We were unable to find evidence to support this, and in fact there appears to be a daisy chain of references that lead back to a study that concluded that Vitamin C was detrimental in one case, where the patient had received a Kidney transplant. Reference to this study can be found on this NZ site:
We are also aware that clinical trials are usually undertaken by pharmaceutical companies, and that for this reason, it was unlikely that any clinical trials involving Vitamin C as an accompanying treatment for sepsis would be funded by the pharmaceutical industry. We were interested to find the results coming through from Otago University for their preliminary research on Vitamin C and cancer - but believe that this has more chance of being funded because of the organised oncology groups and the NZ Cancer Society. As far as we are aware - there is no NZ Sepsis Society, or Infection Support Group.
2. Create an Innovative Solution
After considering that this study would not likely generate funding from either the pharmaceutical industry or the government (without focussed lobbying), we decided that it should be left up to the people who believed in the treatment, or were interested in seeing if the use could be in any way beneficial as a treatment for septis.
One of the team suggested that we could create a online survey for the public that would allow those interested to donate funds so that a specific clinical trial could be undertaken and provide a baseline of scientific data that could support Vitamin C proponents in their requests for intravenous treatment, or the medical profession in their refusal to administer because of the harm that may result.
So our solution is this: Allow the public to enter an online submission of their details, and what funds they could provide, to see whether public support would be able to fund a clinical trial for the use of High-dose Vitamin C in Sepsis.
As a team of students we would be unable to pursue this to it's conclusion, but if survey participants indicated, we could release their information to a suitable organisation or charity to take this idea all the way through to a clinical trial.
3. Share your Research and Solution
This blog was set up to share the information we had obtained, and allow the solution to be published online.
Addition: October 30th 2010
As those who participate in First Lego League would expect - our solution has changed. During our interview with Hilary Butler, it was apparent that Vitamin C is well researched and documented. The problem lies in the presentation of the material to those in our medical profession, and whether they are prepared to accept the use of high-dose vitamin c as a supportive protocol for treatment of Sepsis.
To this end we have added an online form for people to add anecdoctal evidence, and contact details which can be utilised by medical staff or researchers. We have also contacted various authorities and people from the television programmes, to give them the reference to the study that identified no harm to the kidneys in otherwise healthy patients - which removes the spectre of "harm".
Any treatment protocol, whether pharmacological, interventionist, medical equipment use or nutritional supplements is not a guaranteed cure.
However, with the knowledge that kidney damage is not a certainty - or in most cases - a possibility - families and patients should be able to request this supportive treatment alongside other medical protocols.
Saline is already an orthodox protocol because of it's biochemical necessity for biological function, perhaps intravenous Vitamin C will become an orthodox protocol for the treatment of Sepsis for the same reason, - the body requires it to perform a specific function effectively and efficiently.
NOTE: As coach, I am the sole author of this page.
The content has in the main been provided by the team members, although for the younger members some help was required for researching and typing entries. Three of our team members have learning challenges with reading and writing and they usually dictated, while I typed. At this time, I would be asking them to clarify their words.
The team members were responsible for:
Addition: October 30th 2010
As those who participate in First Lego League would expect - our solution has changed. During our interview with Hilary Butler, it was apparent that Vitamin C is well researched and documented. The problem lies in the presentation of the material to those in our medical profession, and whether they are prepared to accept the use of high-dose vitamin c as a supportive protocol for treatment of Sepsis.
To this end we have added an online form for people to add anecdoctal evidence, and contact details which can be utilised by medical staff or researchers. We have also contacted various authorities and people from the television programmes, to give them the reference to the study that identified no harm to the kidneys in otherwise healthy patients - which removes the spectre of "harm".
Any treatment protocol, whether pharmacological, interventionist, medical equipment use or nutritional supplements is not a guaranteed cure.
However, with the knowledge that kidney damage is not a certainty - or in most cases - a possibility - families and patients should be able to request this supportive treatment alongside other medical protocols.
Saline is already an orthodox protocol because of it's biochemical necessity for biological function, perhaps intravenous Vitamin C will become an orthodox protocol for the treatment of Sepsis for the same reason, - the body requires it to perform a specific function effectively and efficiently.
NOTE: As coach, I am the sole author of this page.
The content has in the main been provided by the team members, although for the younger members some help was required for researching and typing entries. Three of our team members have learning challenges with reading and writing and they usually dictated, while I typed. At this time, I would be asking them to clarify their words.
The team members were responsible for:
- transcribing the 60 minutes programme,
- the creation, editing and posting of the presentation video,
- the historical research,
- the lists of recommended reading,
- the creation of a very simple online game for kids,
- researching the history of Vitamin C,
- researching the products shown on 60 Minutes,
- coming up with the original solution of a publically funded trial,
- deciding that the original solution would no longer solve the problem, and adjusting accordingly.
