Table 1 Demographic data for all patients

Primary ICU admitting diagnosis

   Sepsis

25

26

   Respiratory

11

12

   Neurologic

9

7

   Cardiovascular

3

5

   Gastrointestinal or liver

2

3

   Hematologic or oncologic

3

1

   Renal

1

2

   Metabolic

1

1

Age

68.1 ± 16.3

70.4 ± 12.1

0.40

Body weight (kg)

61.4 ± 9.6

62.5 ± 9.8

0.57

Gender (female/male)

16/39 (41%)

16/41 (39%)

0.90

Body mass index (kg/m²)

23.6 ± 3.0

23.9 ± 3.8

0.72

History of diabetes

19/55 (34.5%)

22/57 (38.6%)

0.67

Previous corticosteroid treatment

14/55 (25.4%)

16/57 (28.1%)

0.77

Use of inotropes

15/55 (27.3)

12/57 (21.1)

0.44

APACHE II score

20 (17 to 25)

21 (16.5 to 26.5)

0.94

Patients with total parenteral nutrition

2/55 (3.6%)

2/57 (3.5%)

0.97

Intake of nutrients

   Carbohydrate (%)

54.3 ± 0.2

54.4 ± 0.2

0.84

   Protein (%)

16.4 ± 0.1

16.4 ± 0.2

0.50

   Fat (%)

29.3 ± 0.2

29.2 ± 0.8

0.55

At randomization

   Blood glucose (mg/dl)

229.2 ± 39.3

231.1 ± 52.1

0.93

   Serum hemoglobin (g/dl)

10.9 ± 2.2

10.8 ± 2.3

0.80

   Serum ALT (U/l)

59.1 ± 79.3

63.8 ± 83.0

0.76

   Serum total bilirubin (mg/dl)

1.1 ± 0.4

1.2 ± 0.4

0.88

   UUN (g/BSA/24 hours)

7.0 ± 3.7

6.7 ± 3.8

0.78

   Nitrogen balance (g/BSA/day)

-4.8 ± 5.9

-4.7 ± 4.5

0.93

   Serum albumin (mg/dl)

1,949.9 ± 376.0

1,955.4 ± 506.5

0.95

   Serum prealbumin (mg/dl)

11.3 ± 5.2

11.2 ± 4.5

0.87