DEPENDENCY OF THE O-2 CONSUMPTION-O-2 TRANSPORT RELATIONSHIP ON AMINO-ACID SUPPLY IN SEPSIS

In sepsis tissue O2 uptake may be abnormally limited because of a depr essed O2 consumption/O2 transport relationship. This study has been pe rformed to assess patterns of O2 consumption, CO2 production and O2 tr ansport in septic patients undergoing total parenteral nutrition; more in particular, this study has investigated the interdependence betwee n the patterns of blood O2 uptake and simultaneous CO2 release, and th e availability of substrates (amino acids, glucose and fat). It has be en shown that the O2 consumption/O2 transport relationship is signific antly influenced by the exogenous amino acid load, which tends to incr ease O2 uptake and O2 consumption at any given O2 transport, thus sugg esting a favourable effect of amino acid administration on energy meta bolism. The data on CO2 production and CO2 release, in addition to rec onfirming the results of previous studies, have shown that the changes in O2 uptake and in CO2 production mediated by substrate doses have a quantifiable impact on blood O2-CO2 exchange interactions.