A metabolic cart measures the body’s metabolism using calorimetry to calculate Resting Energy Expenditure (REE). The device can be used in various medical settings, but results can vary based on factors such as weight, age, and gender. The accuracy of the tool may be affected by certain health conditions.
A metabolic cart is an electronic medical instrument for measuring the body’s metabolism through the amount of heat produced when the body is at rest. The metabolic cart uses a process called calorimetry to obtain this measurement. The result can help tell healthcare professionals more about a person’s overall health condition.
The various components of the device, which include a computer system, monitor and breathing tubes, are usually mounted together on a mobile push cart, hence the name, so that it can be easily moved from room to room. It uses two factors to calculate the final heat production. One is the oxygen intake for the body. The other is the production of carbon dioxide. These two digits will provide the result for the metabolic cart, which is typically measured as REE or Resting Energy Expenditure.
The REE for a patient can vary quite a bit. Different measurement instances may vary on the same day or on different days. Results can also change based on a number of conditions.
Among individuals, REE varies with respect to the person’s overall weight or height-to-weight ratio. Age and gender can also influence the result of this test. Also, the chemistry of the body in response to various drugs will change the result.
The metabolic cart has many different uses within the medical community. This tool can be used in an intensive care unit or emergency room to infer more about a patient’s immediate condition who may be unable to answer simple questions. The metabolic cart is also frequently used in sports medicine.
Sometimes, clinicians using the metabolic cart will experience conditions such as metabolic acidosis where the results of extreme energy expenditure can threaten the overall health of the body. Doctors might also check your glucose levels in a more thorough blood test. Exercise-related conditions also affect REE and RQ, or respiratory quotient, which healthcare professionals use as a common indicator.
The medical community also looks at the test’s overall success in maintaining accuracy. Reports show that the results of this tool may be more effective for people with certain conditions. For example, obesity or serious health conditions may affect the accuracy rate for finding out the actual REE.
Using a metabolic cart and observing the body’s metabolism helps medical personnel better understand an immediate medical condition. Many vitamin deficiencies and other diseases will have a dramatic effect on metabolism. In addition to blood metabolic analysis, this type of tool is a useful part of what the modern medical community offers to patients.
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