| It has been commonly accepted in the medical | | | | a decrease amount of time spent in the intensive |
| community that a serious result of sudden extreme | | | | care unit. |
| trauma is insulin resistance, also know as diabetes. | | | | Fenofibrate is traditionally used to lower plasma |
| Researchers have determined that this is also the | | | | triglycerides, which in turn would help improve insulin |
| case with sever burns. As a result, the healing | | | | sensitivity. The relationship between fat metabolism |
| process is slowed and the body is unable to fully use | | | | and glucose intake is still a bit unknown. But the |
| blood sugar for energy. Muscle tissue is use instead, | | | | researchers realized that trauma seriously affects |
| which breaks down the body over time. | | | | both glucose and fat metabolism, and since their |
| However, doctors have found a new treatment that | | | | preliminary results showed that by increasing cell |
| may be able to fight against the onset of diabetes | | | | mitochondrial fat metabolism with fenofibrate, glucose |
| after severe trauma. Apparently, after a two week | | | | metabolism would also improve, it seemed like a |
| treatment with fenofibrate, children who have | | | | worthwhile endeavor. |
| sustained burns of more than 40% of the body | | | | The overall conclusion of the experiment was that |
| surface area showed significant improvements of the | | | | "fenofibrate increases whole body glucose uptake in |
| body's glucose uptake, almost to normal levels. These | | | | pediatric burn trauma patients, and appears to work |
| were the findings according to the lead researcher at | | | | by enhancing liver and muscle insulin sensitivity." |
| the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. | | | | These findings present far-reaching implications that |
| The on-site trauma center was the primary medical | | | | could potentially extend into areas of medicine |
| care source after a British Petroleum refinery | | | | outside that of burn injury treatment. |
| explosion killed at least 15 workers and injury dozens | | | | More tests and experiments are already in the works |
| more. | | | | to see what other application fenofibrate might offer |
| The researchers also found that trauma, particularly in | | | | to the medical community, especially in the area of |
| children, seems to cause problems with fat | | | | burn victim injury recovery. The medical community is |
| metabolism, which causes the onset of diabetes. If | | | | doing what it can to help victims of burn injury |
| given a two week fenofibrate treatment, morbidity | | | | recover fully from their accidents. |
| outcomes improve, healing rates hasten, and there is | | | | |