The main determinants of nitrogen balance during total parenteral nutrition in critically ill injured patients.

Factors influencing nitrogen balance during total parenteral nutrition have been investigated in 34 critically ill injured patients studied during the first 6 days after trauma. Basal nitrogen balance was severely negative (-0.26 +/- 0.12 (SD) g X kg-1), but improved consistently during treatment. Nitrogen intake proved to be the major determinant of a positive, or less negative, nitrogen balance, only secondarily followed by total energy intake corrected to predicted basal energy expenditure, according to multiple regression analysis. The amount of non-protein calories and the non-protein calorie to nitrogen ratio appeared to have little significance on nitrogen balance, when corrected for the two former variables.