Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2007;11(4):153.
doi: 10.1186/cc5975.

Selenium supplementation in critically ill patients: can too much of a good thing be a bad thing?

Editorial

Selenium supplementation in critically ill patients: can too much of a good thing be a bad thing?

Daren K Heyland. Crit Care. 2007.

Abstract

A recent study by Forceville and colleagues evaluated the effect of high-dose selenium administration as a treatment for septic shock. The study was negative and conflicts with existing clinical data regarding selenium administration in critically ill patients. Perhaps the key to understanding the differences between these discrepant observations lies in considering the dose and timing of selenium administration.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effect of selenium on mortality: dose–response curve. Studies are listed in order of the dose of selenium. CI, confidence interval; RR, risk ratio.

Comment on

References

    1. Forceville X, Laviolle B, Annane D, Vitoux D, Bleichner G, Korach J-M, Cantais E, Georges H, Soubirou J-L, Combes A, Bellissant EB. Effects of high doses of selenium, as sodium selenite, in septic shock: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, phase II study. Crit Care. 2007;11:R73. doi: 10.1186/cc5960. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Heyland DK, Dhaliwal R, Suchner U, Berger M. Antioxidant nutrients: a systematic review of vitamins and trace elements in the critically ill patient. Int Care Med. 2005;31:327–337. doi: 10.1007/s00134-004-2522-z. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Berger MM, Baines M, Chiolero R, Wardle CA, Cayeux C, Shenkin A. Influence of early trace element and vitamin E supplements on antioxidant status after major trauma: a controlled trial. Nutr Res. 2001;21:41–54. doi: 10.1016/S0271-5317(00)00296-7. - DOI
    1. Spallholz JE. On the nature of selenium toxicity and carcinostatic activity. Free Radic Biol Med. 1994;17:45–64. doi: 10.1016/0891-5849(94)90007-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Suliman HB, Welty-Wolf KE, Carraway MS, Tatro L, Pianttadosi CA. Lipopolysaccharide induces oxidative cardiac mitochondrial damage and biogenesis. Cardiovasc Res. 2004;64:279–288. doi: 10.1016/j.cardiores.2004.07.005. - DOI - PubMed