Clinical nutrition : official journal of the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The influence of parenteral glutamine supplementation on glucose homeostasis in critically ill polytrauma patients--A randomized-controlled clinical study.
Rapid onset of resistance to insulin is a prominent component of stress metabolism in multiple trauma patients. Recent studies have clarified the role of amino acids (especially glutamine) in glucose transportation and the benefits of parenteral alanyl-glutamine supplementation (0.3-0.6 g/kg/day) in glucose homeostasis. The aims of this study are to evaluate the incidence of hyperglycemic episodes and the need for exogenous insulin to maintain stable glucose levels in critically ill polytrauma patients supplemented with parenteral glutamine dipeptide (Dipeptiven(®)) versus standard nutritional support. ⋯ The effect of glutamine supplementation on glucose homeostasis is associated with a lower incidence of hyperglycemia among critically ill polytrauma patients, and leads to a lower mean daily dose of insulin. Controlled-trials.com Identifier: ISRCTN71592366 (http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN71592366/ISRCTN71592366).