Comparison of the metabolic response to burn injury in obese and nonobese patients.

Burned patients who are obese encounter many obstacles to recovery associated with their excess weight. Weight is used as a factor in most equations designed to estimate energy expenditure, whereas measurement of energy expenditure provides an objective assessment of energy expenditure. In this study 15 obese and 15 nonobese burned patients had their energy expenditures measured with indirect calorimetry (MEE) and compared with energy expenditures predicted with the Harris-Benedict equation (HBEE) to assess the magnitude of hypermetabolism associated with burn injury. There were no significant differences between the obese and nonobese patients in height or burn size. ME, HBEE, and weight were significantly greater in the obese versus the nonobese patients (p < 0.05). The degree of hypermetabolism (MEE/HBEE) in the obese patients was not significantly different from that of the nonobese patients. Obese burned patients have an increase in metabolic rate (energy expenditure) similar to that of nonobese burned patients.