Adequate fluid resuscitation in burn injured patients to allow adequate renal blood flow has been the hallmark of burn care in the last 50 years. The danger of exceeding the optimal intravenous fluid resuscitation has resulted in severe complications including abdominal compartment syndrome, loss of upper airway control, extremity compartment syndromes and pulmonary edema. Hig dose vitamin C infusion during the first 24 hours of burn resuscitation has been documented to decrease the overall amount of intravenous fluid needed to provide for adequate renal perfusion and hemodynamic stability in multiple animal model studies. High dose vitamin C is thought to decrease postburn microvascular protein and fluid leakage by reducing postburn lipid oxygenation caused by burn injury generated free radicals.
