Main nitrogen balance determinants in malnourished patients.

Factors influencing nitrogen balance during total parenteral nutrition have been investigated in 38 malnourished patients studied for a cumulative period of 280 days. According to multiple regression analysis, nitrogen intake (0.213 +/- 0.004 g kg-1 day-1, mean +/- SD) proved to be the major determinant of a positive nitrogen balance (0.018 +/- 0.004 g kg-1 day-1), followed by non-protein energy intake (43.3 +/- 0.5 kcal kg-1 day-1). Total calorie intake to predicted basal energy expenditure and non protein calorie to nitrogen ratios appeared to have little significance on nitrogen balance, when corrected for the two former variables.