Measuring Total Energy Expenditure in Critically Ill Patients Using the Doubly Labelled Water Method (IC-TEE)

Critically ill patients, such as those with trauma or sepsis, experience high rates of malnutrition (up to 75%). Malnutrition worsens outcomes by increasing infection rates, hospital stays, mortality, and healthcare costs. Adequate nutrition is therefore crucial in the ICU. To ensure appropriate nutrition, accurate determination of total energy expenditure (TEE) is essential. In practice, predictive equations are often used, but these can misestimate TEE in ICU patients due to complex metabolic changes. Indirect calorimetry is recommended but limited by technical constraints. Consequently, the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, though expensive, offers a precise and non-invasive way to measure TEE over time.

This study applies the DLW method in ICU patients to improve energy assessment and guide personalized nutrition strategies that support recovery and outcomes.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Critical Illness
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: DLW-based energy assessment

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Michèlle Hendriks; Phone Number: +31 43 388 1184; Email: michelle.hendriks@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Limburg
    • Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium, 3500
      • Recruiting
      • Jessa Hospital Campus Virga Jesse
      • Contact: Prof. Dr. Stessel; Phone Number: +3211 33 55 77; Email: bjorn.stessel@jessazh.be

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Admitted to the ICU of Jessa Hospital
• Male and female sexes
• Age: > 18 years old
• Expected ICU stay of 5 days or more

Exclusion Criteria:

• Dialysis

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: DLW-based energy assessment; Single-arm observational study	Diagnostic test: DLW-based energy assessment; Measuring TEE in IC patients with DLW

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Energy expenditure	Measured using the DLW method by only taking urine samples	Min: 1-5 days; Max: 1-20 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Maastricht University Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 20, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 20, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): December 1, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 10, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 3, 2025
• Last Verified: October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease Attributes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Critical Illness
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2025/108

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