Glucose turnover, oxidation, and indices of recycling in severely traumatized patients

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Trauma; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00005373-199005000-00010· OSTI ID:6749108

Jeevanandam, M; Young, D H; Schiller, W R ^[1]

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1. St. Joseph's Hospital Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ (USA)

Hyperglycemia is often seen in trauma patients and its etiology is not clearly understood. We have determined parameters of glucose metabolism by using simultaneous primed-constant intravenous infusion of both (6-3H) glucose and (U-14C) glucose in ten severely traumatized hypermetabolic subjects during the early flow phase of injury and in six post-absorptive normal volunteers. The mean rate of glucose production (determined by means of (6-3H) glucose) was 3.96 +/- 0.40 mg/kg/min in trauma patients, which was significantly (p = 0.025) higher than the value of 2.75 +/- 0.13 observed in normal volunteers. Glucose turnover rates determined with (U-14C) glucose as tracer were lower in all subjects. The difference between the turnover rates determined by the two tracers represents an index of recycling of glucose through three-carbon fragments. This recycling index was similar in both groups of subjects in amount (0.24 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.26 +/- 0.08 mg glucose/kg/min) but different when expressed as percentage of total glucose turnover (5.6 +/- 1.4% vs. 9.8 +/- 1.7%; p = 0.05). The absolute rates of glucose clearance, oxidation, and recycling were similar in stressed trauma patients and unstressed controls although the rate of production was increased by 44% due to injury. Post-trauma hyperglycemia was mainly due to an increased hepatic output of glucose and not due to a decreased ability of the tissue to extract glucose from the plasma. Hyperglycemia may be the driving force in the metabolic effects of injury.

• OSTI ID: 6749108
• Journal Information: Journal of Trauma; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Trauma; (USA) Vol. 30:5; ISSN JOTRA; ISSN 0022-5282
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550901* -- Pathology-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALDEHYDES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
GLUCOSE
HEXOSES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYPERGLYCEMIA
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
MAN
METABOLISM
MONOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PRIMATES
PROTEINS
REDOX REACTIONS
SACCHARIDES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES