Insulin resistance in burns and trauma.

Thermal injury in animal models clearly alters glucose metabolism. Insulin resistance results, with the wound in the skin receiving increased glucose, presumably to be used for wound healing and fighting invasion by foreign organisms. Using the whole-body imaging capacities of PET, it may now be possible to explore in greater detail the mechanism(s) responsible for the skeletal muscle wasting that is associated with burn and trauma patients, and possibly to develop strategies to prevent muscle atrophy without interfering with wound healing.