[Energy expenditures in patients with acute and chronic catabolic conditions]

The authors investigated the energy expenditure and utilization of different nutrients by indirect calorimetry. They examined three groups of subjects: patients with acute febrile diarrhoeal diseases (n = 36), patients with subacute to chronic severe febrile diseases (n = 10) and healthy subjects (n = 21). The measurements were made three times a day. In all groups the energy requirements of the organism were met in the morning above all by fats, in the course of the day the ration of utilized carbohydrates increased markedly. The authors discuss the problem of optimal nutrition of patients in a critical condition from the quantitative and qualitative aspect.