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Changes in plasma amino acid profiles following abdominal operations
Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics
|March 1, 1981
Summary
Total amino acid levels are sensitive indicators of patient nutrition during surgical recovery. Specific amino acids like histidine are crucial post-operation, highlighting the need for tailored nutritional support.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Clinical Nutrition
- Surgical Metabolism
Background:
- Assessing patient nutritional status pre- and post-operatively is critical for surgical outcomes.
- Traditional biomarkers may not fully capture the dynamic metabolic changes following abdominal surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate plasma amino acid profiles as a sensitive marker of nutritional status in surgical patients.
- To identify specific amino acid requirements during the postoperative period.
Main Methods:
- Measured plasma amino acid concentrations, hemoglobin, hematocrit, albumin, protein, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine in 10 abdominal surgery patients.
- Compared these values with 6 control subjects at various intervals before and up to 16 days after surgery.
Main Results:
- Total amino acid levels demonstrated greater sensitivity in reflecting patient nutrition compared to other tested parameters.
- Plasma histidine levels remained depressed for the longest duration postoperatively.
- Increased requirements were observed for branched-chain amino acids, alanine, glycine, cystine, arginine, lysine, tryptophan, and threonine due to heightened catabolism and starvation.
Conclusions:
- Total amino acid levels are valuable for nutritional assessment in surgical patients.
- Histidine supplementation may be necessary due to its prolonged depletion.
- Hyperalimentation solutions should be formulated considering the increased demand for specific amino acids post-surgery.