We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
A prospective randomized trial of enteral glutamine in critical illness.
- Authors
Hall, John C.; Dobb, Geoffrey; Hall, Jane; de Sousa, Ruth; Brennan, Lisa; McCauley, Rosalie
- Abstract
<bold>Objective: </bold>To assess the influence of enteral glutamine on the incidence of severe sepsis and death in critically ill patients.<bold>Design: </bold>This two-armed clinical trial was triple blind (patients, attending staff, research nurse).<bold>Setting: </bold>The 10 bed general ICU at Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia.<bold>Patients: </bold>This trial evaluated 363 patients requiring mechanical ventilation (median APACHE II score=14); of these, 85 had trauma.<bold>Intervention: </bold>The intervention solution contained 20 g/l glutamine and the control solution was isojoulic and isonitrogenous.<bold>Measurements and Results: </bold>The groups had similar characteristics at baseline, and they also received equivalent amounts of protein and energy. Patients in the glutamine group received a median of 19 g/glutamine per day and 91% (332 of 363) of the patients were fed via a nasogastric tube (median duration=10 days). The outcomes were similar in the two groups: (a) death within 6 months: glutamine group 15% (27 of 179) vs control group 16% (30 of 184); p=0.75; relative risk, 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.28); and (b) severe sepsis: glutamine group 21% (38 of 179) vs control group 23% (43 of 184); p=0.62; relative risk, 0.94 (95% confidence interval, 0.72-1.22). There was also no discernable difference in the secondary outcomes relating to infections, febrile period, antimicrobial therapy, and consumption of inotropes.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>This clinical trial did not support the use of enteral glutamine supplements in similar cohorts of critically ill patients.
- Subjects
GLUTAMINE; SEPSIS; CLINICAL trials; CRITICALLY ill; PATIENTS; CLINICAL medicine; PROTEINS; SEPTICEMIA prevention; CATASTROPHIC illness; APACHE (Disease classification system); COMPARATIVE studies; ENTERAL feeding; LONGITUDINAL method; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL cooperation; RESEARCH; EVALUATION research; DISEASE incidence; THERAPEUTICS
- Publication
Intensive Care Medicine, 2003, Vol 29, Issue 10, p1710
- ISSN
0342-4642
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1007/s00134-003-1937-2