
<ArticleTitle>The effect of short-term growth hormone treatment on growth and energy expenditure in burned children.</ArticleTitle>
<AbstractText>Delays in growth are commonly observed in children who have sustained a severe cutaneous burn. The reasons for this growth delay are not completely known, but in adults, <prot>plasma growth hormone</prot> (<prot>GH</prot>) levels have been shown to decrease after thermal injury. If this is also the case in severely burned children, the low <prot>GH</prot> levels may contribute to their chronic growth delay. We propose that treatment with rh<prot>GH</prot> may prevent this burn-induced growth delay. Height velocities were measured for up to 2 years after injury in 38 burned children (age 7+/-1 years) with a 64+/-2% total burn surface area (TBSA) burn and a 59+/-3% third-degree burn who received 0.2 mg/kg/day rh<prot>GH</prot> during hospitalization. These height velocities were compared to 41 burned children (age 8+/-1 years) with a 64+/-3% TBSA burn and a 60+/-3% TBSA third-degree burn who were treated similarly but did not receive rh<prot>GH</prot>. Height velocities and height percentiles were compared to standard height velocity and percentile nomograms of unburned children. To determine the effect of rh<prot>GH</prot> on energy requirements, resting energy expenditures (REE) were measured by indirect calorimetry and compared to values calculated from the Harris-Benedict equation. All data are presented as mean+/-S.E.M. No differences in average height percentile could be shown between those receiving <prot>GH</prot> and controls at admission and 6 months after burn. There was, however, a significant difference (P&#60;0.05) in height velocity during the first 2 years after burn between <prot>GH</prot> (47th+/-6 percentile) and controls (32nd+/-5 percentile). For rh<prot>GH</prot>-treated children, the REE was elevated by 34+/-4% versus 35+/-5% for controls. Recombinant human <prot>GH</prot>, given during acute hospitalization, maintained growth in severely burned children who would otherwise experience a significant growth delay. Treatment with rh<prot>GH</prot> did not atttenuate their elevated REE.</AbstractText>
