Metabolism: clinical and experimental
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Glucose and protein kinetics in patients undergoing colorectal surgery: perioperative amino acid versus hypocaloric dextrose infusion.
Surgical injury provokes a stress response that leads to a catabolic state and, when prolonged, interferes with the postoperative recovery process. This study tests the impact of 2 nutrition support regimens on protein and glucose metabolism as part of an integrated approach in the perioperative period incorporating epidural analgesia in 18 nondiabetic patients undergoing colorectal surgery. ⋯ The postoperative increase in the appearance of leucine from protein breakdown tended to be greater (P = .077) in the DEX group. We conclude that perioperative infusion of a nutrition support regimen delivering amino acids alone maintains blood glucose homeostasis and normoglycemia and tends to have a suppressive effect on protein breakdown compared with infusion of dextrose alone.