MEASURED RESTING ENERGY-EXPENDITURE - RELATIONSHIP TO APACHE-II SCOREAND OBESITY

Objective: To determine if Apache II Trauma Score or obesity correlate with measured resting energy expenditure (REE) and influence the vali dity of calculated REE. Design: Descriptive case series. Setting: Hosp italized care at an urban medical center. Patients: Consecutive sample of sixty-six patients having indirect calorimetry measurements. Analy sis: Patients were assigned Apache II Scores and classified by body we ight (15 obese, 25 normal weight and 11 underweight patients). Estimat es of REE were calculated using Harris-Benedict and Mifflin equations. Main Outcomes: Measured REE did not correlate significantly with Apac he II scores. Correlation of Harris-Benedict calculated REE with measu red REE was moderate (r=O.54, p<0.001) and did not improve with contro lling for obesity (use of ideal/adjusted body weight, use of Mifflin e quation or with obese patients excluded). Conclusion: Calculations for REE in hospital patients are unlikely to be improved by incorporation of Apache II scores. Obesity does not affect the validity of calculat ed REE.