Measuring Total Energy Expenditure in Critically Ill Patients Using the Doubly Labelled Water Method (IC-TEE)

Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Critical Illness

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: DLW-based energy assessment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07256340

2025/108

Details and patient eligibility

About

Critically ill patients, such as those with trauma or sepsis, experience high rates of malnutrition (up to 75%). Malnutrition worsens outcomes by increasing infection rates, hospital stays, mortality, and healthcare costs. Adequate nutrition is therefore crucial in the ICU. To ensure appropriate nutrition, accurate determination of total energy expenditure (TEE) is essential. In practice, predictive equations are often used, but these can misestimate TEE in ICU patients due to complex metabolic changes. Indirect calorimetry is recommended but limited by technical constraints. Consequently, the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, though expensive, offers a precise and non-invasive way to measure TEE over time.

This study applies the DLW method in ICU patients to improve energy assessment and guide personalized nutrition strategies that support recovery and outcomes.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Admitted to the ICU of Jessa Hospital
• Male and female sexes
• Age: > 18 years old
• Expected ICU stay of 5 days or more

Exclusion criteria

• Dialysis

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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50 participants in 1 patient group

DLW-based energy assessment

Experimental group

Description:

Single-arm observational study

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: DLW-based energy assessment