Growth hormone: secretion and administration in catabolic adult patients, with emphasis on the critically ill patient.

: Critical illness, surgery and hypocaloric feeding are accompanied by a high rate of total body nitrogen loss. Loss of body protein, occurring despite adequate nutrition, results in increased incidence of infection, poor wound healing, skeletal muscle weakness and increased mortality. Growth hormone (GH) administration together with nutritional support attenuates protein catabolism. This review focuses on normal GH physiology and the administration of GH in adult catabolic patients.