Background and objective.

After thermal aggression, antioxidant levels decrease and oxidative biomarkers rise, which together with inflammatory mediators, participate in alterations of the microvasculature, causing capillary leakage and hypovolemic shock. Vitamin C modulates this response, and it has been proposed to incorporate it in megadoses in the initial treatment of burned patients.

The aim of this work is to estimate the serum ascorbate levels reached in burned patients by administering 3 g daily of vitamin C during the acute phase.

Methods.

Descriptive study in 25 burned patients in resuscitation, in whom the ascorbate level was determined without receiving the first dose of vitamin C and then at 72 hours. Those ascorbate concentrations were compared with the reference one using the Student's test for a sample. It was determined if there was an association between the level of ascorbate and the extension of the lesion using the Student's test for independent samples, and the same was analyzed with the prognosis of life using analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results.

Mean ascorbate values were significantly decreased without changes between the initial level and that reached at 72 hours treatment. No relationship was found with the extension or with the prognosis.

Conclusions.

Administration of 3 g of vitamin C was not enough to reach normal serum levels. It is necessary to administer doses higher than the protocol established in our institution.

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