Catabolic response to surgery Flashcards
What are the causes of hyperglycemia and structural body protein loss in response to surgery?
o Increased glucose production
o Decreased peripheral glucose utilization
o Increased rate of muscle protein breakdown
o Increased rate of amino acid oxidation
What are the two key features to the surgical catabolic response?
Hyperglycemia and protein breakdown
In which types of surgeries is glycemia the highest?
The hyperglycemic response to surgery has been shown to depend on the severity of surgical tissue trauma.
Worst glycemia during surgery is in open heart surgery –> ~12mmol/L; frequently exceeding the renal threshold of glucose excretion of 10mmol/L
What is the proportion of non-diabetic patients showing high BG before elective surgery?
What about diabetic patients?
Non-diabetic: 20% between 6.1 and 6.9 7% >= 7mmol/L Diabetic: Only 11% have normal BG before elective surgery, 60% are between 6.1 and 9.9 and 29% are over 10mmol/L!
Why is insulin not working well during surgery?
• Increased cortisol, glucagon and catecholamines, cytokines (IL-6 particularly)
o All of those decrease glucose uptake and increase glucose production
o All are “counterregulatory” because they counteract the metabolic effects of insulin –> state of insulin resistance
Define insulin resistance
Any condition whereby a normal blood concentration of insulin produces a subnormal biological response.
Which 2 different scenarios can lead to insulin resistance?
- Lack of insulin sensitivity
2. Lack of insulin responsiveness
Define insulin sensitivity
Insulin concentration required to achieve a half maximal biological response.
o Decreased insulin sensitivity characterized by a rightward shift in the insulin dose response curve
o More insulin is needed to achieve a biological response
o Use this term when normal BG can be achieved at one point
Define insulin responsiveness
Maximal effect that can be obtained from insulin
o Decreased insulin responsiveness characterized by a reduction in height of the curve
o Even high amounts of insulin will not reach normal biological response
o Use this term if you never reach normal BG no matter the amount of insulin used
Name 3 metabolic effects of insulin
o Hypoglycemic
o Protein anabolic
o Anti-lipolytic
Name 5 non-metabolic effects of insulin
o Anti-inflammatory o Anti-aggregatory o Vasodilatory o Positive inotropic (increases strength of muscular contraction) o Neuroprotective?
Describe the relationship between surgery and insulin sensitivity
Relationship between degree of insulin resistance and magnitude of surgical stress
• Bed rest by itself has an effect on IS
• IS deteriorates quickly after abdominal surgery and remains low for at least 5 days post-op!
• IS after colorectal surgery decreased to 70% and to almost 50% after open cholecystectomy
Name 3 ways to measure insulin resistance
- Fasting circulating concentrations glucose/insulin (HOMA – Homeostasis model assessment index)
- Glucose tolerance tests oral/intravenous
- Clamps (Normoglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps) (gold standard)
Explain how the hyperinsulinemic normoglycemic clamp works.
o Constant insulin infusion to induces hyperinsulinemia
o Variable glucose infusion to to maintain normoglycemia
o Endogenous hepatic glucose production and renal glucose production suppressed
o More glucose infused = more insulin sensitivity
Define diabetes mellitus and name the diagnostic criteria.
DM: Metabolic disorder characterized by the presence of hyperglycemia due to defective insulin secretion, action or both.
- Fasting BG >= 7.0 mmol/L
- Casual glucose >= 11.1 mmol/L + symptoms (polyuria, polydipsia, unexplained wt loss)
- Random or 2h-post OGTT (75g PO) >= 11.1 mmol/L
What is the relationship between acute hyperglycemia and mortality in surgical/critically ill patients?
FBG higher than 7 mmol/L is associated with an 18-fold increase in hospital mortality
What are the risks associated with hyperglycemia in diabetic and non-diabetic surgical patients?
- In diabetic patients, each 1mmol/L increase in BG post-op (over 6.1 mmol/L) is associated with a 17% increase in adverse outcomes
- In non-diabetic patients, every 1.1 mmol/L increase in mean intraop BG (during open heart surgery) was associated with a 30% increase in adverse outcomes (death, renal and pulmonary complications)
- In diabetic patients, the risk of mediastinitis increases more than 2-fold for every 50mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) increase in BG
- Strong and independent relationship between the quality of periop glycemic control and mediastinitis
Explain the association between peri-operative insulin sensitivity and post-operative complications and LOS.
Independent on the presence of DM, each 20% decrease in IS during surgery increased odds ratio (OR) for death, heart failure, stroke and dialysis increased (no statistical significance)
• Negative correlation between post-op insulin sensitivity and LOS after abdominal procedures
Explain how preoperative glycemic control affects IS during surgery and complications.
There is a negative correlation between HbA1C (indicative of preop BG control) and insulin sensitivity during surgery (r=0.53)
Increase in major complications and minor infections with an increased HbA1C (>6.5%) in diabetics
Name 3 associations with high HgbA1C that predict post-op complications after cardiac and major colorectal surgery.
HbA1C > 7%
o 2.8x risk of cardiac ischemia
o 2.1x increased Troponin T
o 5.3x increased risk of cardiac death or MI (in 30 days)