Effect of burn injury on glucose turnover in guinea pigs.

Using our guinea pig model, we found the rate of appearance of glucose was elevated during the three phases following burn injury: the burn shock phase, the hypermetabolic phase and the septic phase. The rate of disappearance of glucose initially was not elevated, resulting in hyperglycemia during burn shock, but eventually, the rate of disappearance of glucose increased to the same extent as the rate of appearance of glucose. During the hypermetabolic and septic phases, the glucose turnover rate was elevated, but the plasma glucose concentration was normal. Glucose turnover was poorly correlated with total body oxygen consumption, suggesting that not all of the increased turnover of glucose was due to increased glucose oxidation.