Bedside adipose tissue metabolism in acute critical care illness monitored by microdialysis (MD)

Introduction MD is a bedside in vivo sampling technique that permits continuous analysis of a patient’s interstitial fluid chemistry. As the interstitial fluid bathes the cells, its composition reflects the local metabolic activity of those cells thus reflecting intracellular metabolic changes and disorders. The primary substances that provide information about metabolism are lactate, pyruvate, glycerol and glucose. In addition, blood metabolic alterations have been well characterized in severely ill patients. In vivo MD is performed by implanting a commercially available catheter that mimics a blood capillary at the site of interest.