Animal and human data have supported the notion that administration of large doses of Vitamin
C has beneficial effects on those subjects suffering from large burns. This effect may be
due, in part, to the antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging properties of Vitamin C. These
studies have demonstrated an improvement in urine output during resuscitation and reduced
need for fluid volumes during resuscitation. In turn, these subjects demonstrated a reduction
of wound edema, improved respiratory status (demonstrated by improvements in P:F ratios and
reduced ventilator days), and no differences in terms of the possible complications of
high-dose vitamin C administration between standard and treatment groups. The purpose of this
study is to prospectively determine if Vitamin C can be safely used as an adjunctive
treatment for patients suffering severe thermal injuries. High-dose vitamin C administered at
a dose of 66mg/kg/hr during the acute phase of severe burn injuries will reduce fluid
requirements in the first 48 hours after injury.