Patients´ Experiences of Calorimetry Measurements

September 18, 2026 updated by: Josefin Dimander, Uppsala University Hospital

A severe burn injury affects not only the skin but also how the body uses energy. Many patients have increased energy needs during recovery, and healthcare professionals use a method called indirect calorimetry to measure the body's energy expenditure and help provide appropriate nutritional treatment.

During the measurement, the patient rests comfortably while wearing a transparent canopy over the head for approximately 10 to 30 minutes. The equipment measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production to estimate the body's energy needs.

Although indirect calorimetry is commonly used in burn care, little is known about how patients experience the procedure. The aim of this study is to explore patients' experiences of undergoing indirect calorimetry after a burn injury.

Participants will be interviewed about their experiences of the measurement. By analyzing these interviews, we hope to gain a better understanding of patients' perspectives and identify ways to improve information, preparation, comfort, and overall care related to the procedure. Ultimately, this may help make the assessment more comfortable for patients and support high-quality individualized nutritional treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Severe burn injury affects the entire body, not only the skin. Profound alterations occur in metabolism, endocrine function, and immune responses, resulting in a hypermetabolic state. This condition is characterized by an increased energy expenditure that may persist for months or even years following injury. Adequate nutritional support is essential to promote wound healing, reduce the risk of infection, and preserve lean body mass. Both underfeeding and overfeeding may adversely affect recovery and clinical outcomes.

To enable safe and individualized nutritional management, measurement of resting energy expenditure (REE) using indirect calorimetry is recommended. During the assessment, the awake patient wears a transparent plastic canopy placed over the head. Oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production are measured over a period of 10 to 30 minutes to estimate energy requirements. Accurate measurements require the patient to remain still, relaxed, and awake, while refraining from speaking, as physical activity, psychological stress, and other disturbances may influence the results.

Although indirect calorimetry is routinely used in burn care, relatively little is known about how patients experience the measurement procedure itself. Factors such as the hospital environment, pain, anxiety, restricted mobility, and the measurement may influence the patient's experience; however, these aspects have received limited scientific attention. Understanding the patient perspective is important, as discomfort or stress may negatively affect both the patient experience and the quality of the measurement.

The aim of this study is therefore to explore how individuals receiving care for burn injuries experience the assessment of resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry.

Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews. Eligible participants will be approached during their burn care admission and provided with both oral and written study information. Written informed consent will be obtained prior to participation. Consent forms and interview data will be stored securely and will be accessible only to the research team.

Interviews will be conducted within two weeks of the indirect calorimetry assessment, either in person at the burn unit or remotely via telephone or video call following hospital discharge. All interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The interview guide focuses on participants' experiences before, during, and after the indirect calorimetry measurement.

Data will be analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Interview transcripts will be read repeatedly to achieve immersion in the data and identify meaning units, which will be condensed, coded, and grouped into subcategories, categories, and overarching themes. Two researchers will independently code the interviews and discuss interpretations until consensus is reached. The analysis will involve an iterative process of moving between the original text, codes, categories, and emerging themes to develop a comprehensive understanding of participants' experiences. Findings will be reported with illustrative quotations to enhance transparency and trustworthiness.

Through qualitative content analysis of interview data, the study seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of patients' experiences, perceptions, and needs associated with indirect calorimetry. Increased knowledge in this area may contribute to improvements in clinical procedures, patient communication, and preparation before and during the assessment. Ultimately, the goal is to make the measurement process as safe, comfortable, and patient-centered as possible, thereby enhancing both the patient experience and the quality of the measurements used to guide individualised nutritional therapy.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Anna Stenson Zerpe, PhD, PhD
  • Phone Number: +46(0)186119466
  • Email: anna.zerpe@uu.se

Study Locations

  • Sweden
      • Uppsala, Sweden, 75185
        • Uppsala university hospital
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Josefin Dimander, PhD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Anna Stenson Zerpe, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients post-burn admitted to the BurnCentre at Uppsala university hospital, 18 years or older, swedish/english speaking, with experience of at least one calorimetry measurement.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients post-burn admitted to the BurnCentre at Uppsala university hospital
  • 18 years or older
  • Swedish/english speaking
  • With experience of at least one calorimetry measurement during burn care post-trauma

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not fulfilling inclusion criteria

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: OTHER
  • Time Perspectives: OTHER

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Patients post-burn

Patients post-burn admitted to the BurnCentre at Uppsala university hospital, 18 years or older, swedish/english speaking, with experience of at least one calorimetry measurement.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patients´ experiences
Time Frame: The interviews will be conducted within two weeks from the calorimetry measurment.

Patients´ experiences before, during and after calorimetry measurement is explored with a semi-structered interview guide. The interview will be conducted within two weeks from the measurment at the Burn Centre. The interviews will be recorded, transcribed and analysed with content analysis.
The interviews will be conducted within two weeks from the calorimetry measurment.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Uppsala University Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 18, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • FOU2026-00337

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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