Postoperative Bestimmung des täglichen Energiebedarfs

R. Dummler, A. Zittermann, M. Schäfer, M. Emmerich

The reference method for determining resting energy expenditure (REE) in clinical nutrition practice is measurement by indirect calorimetry; however, indirect calorimetry has some limitations, is expensive and not widely available. Therefore, the most used methods to estimate the caloric requirements in intensive care patients are predictive equations. The Harris-Benedict equations (HBE) are the most common formulae in the clinical setting. The SenseWear(®) armlet (SWA) is a noninvasive device that monitors skin temperature, heat flux, galvanic skin response and movement. These data as well as anthropometric characteristics are used to calculate REE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of agreement and interchangeability of REE estimated by HBE (EEHBE) and measured by SWA (EESWA) in normometabolic patients after elective bowel resection with laparotomy. Furthermore, postsurgical pain therapy by continuous thoracic epidural anaesthesia (t-PDA) was compared with continuous intravenous pain therapy regarding EESWA in these patients.