1. Metabolic cart is used in critically ill patients. It is an
indirect calorimeter. The advantages are:
- Guide appropriate nutritional support
- Help the healthcare provider to select the appropriate
ventilator settings and mode
- To determine the cause of increased ventilator
requirements
- To measure cardiac output
2. The important pieces of the cart are:
- Oxygen blender
- Reservoir bag
- Flowmeter
- Two way valve
- Metabolic cart flow sensor
The important measurements the cart is obtaining are:
- Resting energy expenditure
- Oxygen consumption
- Carbon dioxide production