People who receive vitamins C and E following abdominal surgery may experience fewer breathing problems and less hypoxemia, according to preliminary research. Linked to sedatives and analgesics, respiratory depression is a common postop complication.

In a study, 34 healthy men received less oxygen than normal for 3 minutes. Before the oxygen deprivation, some of the men received sedatives and vitamins C and E. The rest of the men received only sedatives. The men who took the vitamins experienced less respiratory depression than those who didn't take any vitamins.

The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research released these findings.

Copyright Springhouse Corporation Dec 2002
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