Using the respiratory quotient (RQ) to guide nutrition for ICU patients

Will the Use of Respiratory Quotient "RQ" to Optimize Nutrition Therapy With Indirect Calorimetry Improve Treatment Outcomes for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Patients?

Not applicable Interventional Poznan University of Medical Sciences · NCT07457554

This project will test if using the respiratory quotient (RQ) from indirect calorimetry to guide calorie delivery improves outcomes for mechanically ventilated ICU patients.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment200 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 85 Years
SexAll
SponsorPoznan University of Medical Sciences Academic / other
Locations1 site (Poznan, Wielkopolska)
Trial IDNCT07457554 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This interventional study compares RQ-guided nutrition to standard guideline-based nutritional care in mechanically ventilated ICU patients. RQ and resting energy expenditure will be obtained with indirect calorimetry and used to adjust calorie provision in the intervention arm, while the control arm receives nutrition per current guidelines. Patients on ECMO, with very high oxygen needs (FiO2 >60%), or not expected to survive 48 hours are excluded. The study is conducted at the University Clinical Hospital in Poznań under the Poznan University of Medical Sciences.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients treated at the enrolling center, covered by universal health insurance, who are not on ECMO and have FiO2 ≤ 60% are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Patients on ECMO, with FiO2 > 60%, breathing without ventilator support, pregnant patients, or those not expected to survive 48 hours are not eligible and unlikely to benefit from this approach.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, RQ-guided feeding could reduce overfeeding and underfeeding and improve recovery and survival by tailoring nutrition to each patient's metabolic state.

How similar studies have performed: Indirect calorimetry is established as the gold standard for measuring energy needs, but using RQ specifically to guide nutrition is relatively novel and prior outcome data are limited and mixed.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* patient treated in the ICU
* mechanically ventilated
* covered by universal health insurance

Exclusion Criteria:

* ECMO therapy
* mechanical ventilation with an oxygen concentration in the breathing mixture FiO2 \> 60%
* breathing independently without the aid of a ventilator
* critically ill patients who are not expected to survive the next 48 hours
* pregnant women

Where this trial is running

Poznan, Wielkopolska

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Nutritional Therapy in an ICUintensive care unitICUrespiratory quotientRQindirect calorimetry
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.