Comparison of estimated energy requirements using predictive equations with total energy expenditure measured by the doubly labelled water method in acute spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, observational OBJECTIVES: To evaluate agreement between a reference method (doubly labelled water, DLW) of total energy expenditure (TEE) and published equations for estimating energy requirements in acute spinal cord injury (SCI).

SETTING: Victoria, Australia METHODS: Twenty participants (18 male) within 8 weeks of traumatic SCI completed DLW, anthropometric and dietary intake assessments. Energy requirements were predicted using Harris-Benedict, Schofield, Henry, Nelson, Buchholz and Chun equations, multiplied by a combined activity and stress factor of 1.3, and the ratio method (kJ/kg body weight). Fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) were calculated from TBW-derived DLW and from bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS).

RESULTS: Median time since injury was 41 days. Median TEE was 9.1 MJ. Fair agreement was found between TEE and predicted energy requirements for the Chun (rc  = 0.39), the Harris-Benedict equation (rc  = 0.30), the ratio method (rc  = 0.23) and the Buchholz (rc  = 0.31) and Nelson equations (rc  = 0.35), which incorporate measures of FFM and/or FM. Other equations showed weak concordance with DLW. When two hypermetabolic patients were removed, agreement between TEE and predicted energy requirements using the Buchholz equation increased to substantial (rc  = 0.72) and using the Nelson (rc  = 0.53) and Chun equations (rc  = 0.53) increased to moderate. The Buchholz equation had the smallest limits of agreement (-2.4-2.3 MJ/d).

CONCLUSION: The population-specific Buchholz equation that incorporates FFM, predicted from either BIS or DLW, demonstrated the best agreement in patients with acute SCI.

SPONSORSHIP: The study was funded by grants from the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR Project # NGE-E-13-078) and Austin Medical Research Foundation. M Panisset was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award.