Under which circumstance would energy expenditure per day be the greatest?

Under which circumstance would energy expenditure per day be the greatest?

• A. Sepsis with fever
• B. 60% burn
• C. Multiple fractures
• D. 1 hour status post after liver transplantation

Answer: (B)

Major burns trigger a powerful hypermetabolic response, driving a sharp rise in daily energy expenditure to support wound healing, immune function, and the extensive catabolic losses that come with tissue injury. When a burn involves a large area of skin, such as sixty percent of the body surface, the metabolic stress is extreme, leading to the greatest increase in energy needs compared with the other scenarios. Sepsis with fever also raises energy use due to inflammation and fever, but the magnitude is typically less intense than that seen with extensive burns. Multiple fractures do raise energy requirements during healing, yet their metabolic impact is far smaller than a large burn. Postoperative status after liver transplantation increases energy needs but does not usually reach the level seen with a massive burn in the acute phase. Hence, the daily energy expenditure would be greatest with a sixty percent burn.

Major burns trigger a powerful hypermetabolic response, driving a sharp rise in daily energy expenditure to support wound healing, immune function, and the extensive catabolic losses that come with tissue injury. When a burn involves a large area of skin, such as sixty percent of the body surface, the metabolic stress is extreme, leading to the greatest increase in energy needs compared with the other scenarios. Sepsis with fever also raises energy use due to inflammation and fever, but the magnitude is typically less intense than that seen with extensive burns. Multiple fractures do raise energy requirements during healing, yet their metabolic impact is far smaller than a large burn. Postoperative status after liver transplantation increases energy needs but does not usually reach the level seen with a massive burn in the acute phase. Hence, the daily energy expenditure would be greatest with a sixty percent burn.