Anesthesiology
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Editorial Comment
Blood glucose variability: a new paradigm in critical care?
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Postoperative infusion of amino acids induces a positive protein balance independently of the type of analgesia used.
Net loss of body protein is a prominent feature of the catabolic response to surgical tissue trauma. Epidural analgesia with hypocaloric dextrose has been demonstrated to attenuate leucine oxidation but was unable to make protein balance positive. The current study was set to determine whether an infusion of amino acids on the second day after colon surgery would revert the catabolic state and promote protein synthesis while maintaining glucose homeostasis in patients receiving epidural analgesia as compared with patient-controlled analgesia with morphine (PCA). ⋯ Infusion of amino acids decreased the endogenous glucose production and induced a positive protein balance independent of the type of anesthesia provided, although such effects were greater in the PCA group.