Abstract
Neither indirect nor direct calorimetry are suitable for assessing metabolic rate in each newborn infant unhindered for an unlimited period of time. As an alternative, metabolic rate could be assessed as the sum of components of the energy balance equation. Among those, dry heat loss (HL) is the most important component. We investigated, whether dry heat loss determined by 17 heatflux transducers (HL tot) was related to dry heat loss determined from 12 or 8 heatflux tranducers and correction factors, a set-up nicknamed calorimetric bikini (HL-bik 12 or HL-bik 8). We studied twenty healthy newborns infants, attached five heatflux transducers to the head, six to the torso and six to the limbs of each infant and determined HL tot from the heatflux and the surface area, it represented, during a half hour period for prone and supine position respectively. The HL-bik 12 and HL-bik 8 correlated statistically significant with HL tot in the infants lying prone or supine (HL tot vs. HL-bik12: y =0.01+0.99x (Watt/kg), r=0.97, p<0.001 and HL tot vs HL-bik 8: y=0.16+0.91x, r=0.92, p<0.001). The mean and 1 S.D of differences between HL tot and HL-bikl2 or HL-bik 8 were < 1 % and < 6.5% of HL tot respectively. In conclusion, dry heat loss can be fairly accurately measured by a few calorimetric elements on the surface of the newborn infant and these calorimetric bikinis are a first step towards a method allowing unhindered monitoring of metabolic rate for an unlimited period of time.
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Simbruner, G., Glatzl-Hawlik, MA. 68 CALORIMETRIC BIKINIS FOR THE UNHINDERED, LONGTERM ASSESSMENT OF DRY HEAT LOSS IN NEWBORN INFANTS. Pediatr Res 24, 272 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00094
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00094