ABSTRACT
Some studies of the protein metabolism in severely injured patients with sepsis are reported. Knowledge of changes in blood amino acid levels will improve patient management. A prospective study was performed in severely injured patients (ISS 20-40) admitted to ICU as trauma cases, at Siriraj Hospital between January 1993 and December 1994. Ten patients were involved : five non-sepsis patients and five sepsis patients. Blood samples were drawn for determining amino acids levels on the first day of injury, then 7 and day 14. Blood samples were also obtained from three normal non-trauma volunteers as the control group. After injury, amino acids levels increased, in most of the patients, especially serine and lysine which significantly increased, both in non-sepsis groups. Only the especially serine and lysine which significantly decreased in the non-sepsis group at day 14. The branched chain amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine) increases more than the aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan). Glutamic acid, for the functional maintenance of mucosal cells of the intestine, and arginine, the immune supporter, were found to have increased in the sepsis group.