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Related Experiment Videos

Does enteral glutamine supplementation decrease infectious morbidity?

Alison Saalwachter Schulman1, Kate F Willcutts, Jeffrey A Claridge

  • 1Department of Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908-0709, USA.

Surgical Infections
|March 3, 2006
PubMed
Summary

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Supplemental enteral glutamine did not reduce infection rates in critically ill surgical patients. This study found no significant differences in infection acquisition or characteristics with glutamine supplementation.

Area of Science:

  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Surgical Nutrition
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

  • Conflicting evidence exists regarding the benefits of supplemental glutamine in reducing infectious morbidity.
  • The precise role of glutamine in critically ill surgical patients remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of supplemental enteral glutamine on infection rates and outcomes.
  • To investigate the effect of glutamine on infection characteristics in critically ill surgical patients.

Main Methods:

  • 185 surgical and trauma patients in a surgical trauma intensive care unit (STICU) received sequential enteral nutrition.
  • Patients were assigned to standard feeding, standard feeding with glutamine, or immune-modulated feeding with glutamine.
  • Infections acquired during hospitalization were prospectively monitored.

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Main Results:

  • No significant difference in infection rates (59% vs. 64% vs. 69%) was observed among the three groups.
  • The mean number of infections and common infection sites (lungs, blood, urine) did not differ.
  • No significant variations in isolated organisms or antibiotic usage were noted between groups.

Conclusions:

  • Supplemental enteral glutamine, at the studied dosage, did not alter the incidence or characteristics of infections.
  • The findings suggest glutamine supplementation may not be beneficial for preventing infections in this patient population.