Does glutamine enable severely ill intensive care patients to cope better with infection and increase their chance of survival?

Abstract

In the July/August 2002 issue (18:546) of Nutrition, a research paper by Richard D. Griffiths, et al. was published along with the reprinting of their previous work on glutamine in parenteral nutrition, published originally in the April 1997 issue of Nutrition (13:295). In the current issue, we include the following series of articles, in the interest of shedding further light on what continues to be a fascinating and controversial topic. The first three articles are commentaries on some key aspects: What do we know about glutamine supplementation, ICU infection, and patient survival? What is the significance of five days feeding, and of observations after 6 months? The fourth paper, by Ramon Conejero, et al., is an original article accepted recently after peer review via Nutrition’s European office. Showing the effect of a glutamine-enriched enteral diet on the critically ill after 28 days, it adds an intriguing new dimension to the discussion. Finally, two further commentaries wrap up the series, comparing the work of Griffiths and of Conejero, and raising, from different points of view, questions that begin to take shape on the horizon of future research. We welcome the thoughts and insights of our readers. —Editor