Glutamine is an amino acid which is rapidly depleted in critical illness. It is used as
energy by cells that line the gut, vital for immune system function, and works as an
anti-oxidant. Glutamine supplementation has been shown to improve outcomes in ICU patients.
We hypothesize that critically ill patients given extra glutamine will have less of an
inflammatory response and therefore better outcomes than patients not given extra glutamine.
Our study randomizes patients to tube feeding with OR without extra glutamine to see if it
affects patient outcomes as well as markers of inflammation.