Rest energy expenditure is decreased during the acute as compared to the recovery phase of sepsis in newborns.
BACKGROUND
Little is known with respect to the metabolic response and the requirements of infected newborns. Moreover, the nutritional needs and particularly the energy metabolism of newborns with sepsis are controversial matter. In this investigation we aimed to evaluate the rest energy expenditure (REE) of newborns with bacterial sepsis during the acute and the recovery phases.


METHODS
We studied nineteen neonates (27.3 +/- 17.2 days old) with bacterial sepsis during the acute phase and recovery of their illness. REE was determined by indirect calorimetry and VO2 and VCO2 measured by gas chromatography.


RESULTS
REE significantly increased from 49.4 +/- 13.1 kcal/kg/day during the acute to 68.3 +/- 10.9 kcal/kg/day during recovery phase of sepsis (P < 0.01). Similarly, VO2 (7.4 +/- 1.9 vs 10 +/- 1.5 ml/kg/min) and VCO2 (5.1 +/- 1.7 vs 7.4 +/- 1.5 ml/kg/min) were also increased during the course of the disease (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
REE was increased during recovery compared to the sepsis phase. REE of septic newborns should be calculated on individualized basis, bearing in mind their metabolic capabilities.
Feferbaum
Rubens
R
Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brasil. rfeferbaum@uol.com.br.
Leone
Cláudio
C
Siqueira
Arnaldo Af
AA
Valenti
Vitor E
VE
Gallo
Paulo R
PR
Reis
Alberto Oa
AO
Lopes
Ary C
AC
Nascimento
Viviane G
VG
de Oliveira
Adriana G
AG
de Carvalho
Tatiana Dias
TD
Wajnsztejn
Rubens
R
de Castro Selestrin
Claudia
C
de Abreu
Luiz Carlos
LC