©2006 Microlife USA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Microlife, MedGem, and BalanceLog are trademarks of Microlife, Inc.
Page 1 of 5
960-0007-02-A
MedGem
®
Frequently Asked Questions
_______________________________________________________
Measurement Information
Will MedGem give me oxygen consumption and RMR?
Yes, the MedGem provides you with oxygen consumption measurement and performs a simple calculation
to display RMR in kcal/day. When the MedGem is used in conjunction with MedGem Analyzer software, you
can monitor, view, store and print patient reports containing this information.
When should I perform an RMR measurement?
When using the MedGem to measure oxygen consumption and determine RMR in a spontaneously
breathing patient, it is important that the patient is calm and relaxed. If the patient has been active or
stressed, or has recently eaten or exercised, the rate of oxygen consumption that the MedGem measures
will be accurate for that condition but may not be representative of actual resting metabolic rate (RMR).
• Patient should be rested and in a comfortable sitting or reclined position. If time permits, have the patient
rest quietly for 10 minutes before the measurement to allow the body to stabilize.
• Patients who are in a non-rested state (e.g., recent physical therapy treatment, respiratory treatments
including medications, chest percussion procedure, stressful event, recent physical activity) should rest in
a sitting or reclined position for a minimum of 15 minutes before the measurement to allow the body to
stabilize.
• Parenteral and enteral nutrients are infused at a continuous rate, thus thermal effect is stable throughout
the day. The feeding does not need to be turned off.
• Supplemental oxygen (i.e., nasal cannulas or mask) is not being administered to the patient.
• Measurements are made in a quiet, thermoneutral environment. With repeat testing, measurements should
be taken at the same time of day under similar conditions.
Reference: Feurer ID, Mullen JL. Bedside Measurement of Resting Energy Expenditure and Respiratory Quotient via Indirect Calorimetry.
Nutr. Clin. Pract. 1986; 1:43–49.
Why it is necessary to measure oxygen consumption?
Most healthcare professionals recognize that resting metabolic rate is impacted by unique characteristics
such as age, obesity, body composition (muscle versus fat), recent weight changes, disease state, surgery,
fever, stress and medications. When managing a patient’s nutritional needs, knowledge of resting metabolic
rate is critically important for accurately assessing a patient’s unique nutritional needs, helping the
healthcare professional prevent over- or underfeeding, minimizing post-op complications and reducing
length of stay. The MedGem accurately measures patient respiratory airflow and oxygen consumption.
MedGem is a scientifically validated tool that will improve patient care through accurate, personal nutrition
assessment.
How often should I perform a measurement?
In the clinical setting, a patient’s metabolic rate may increase or decrease significantly depending on clinical
status. For example, when a patient develops a fever, the patient’s metabolic rate may increase. Monitoring
these changes will allow the healthcare professional to revise nutritional recommendations to meet the
patient’s changing nutritional needs. In some instances, this will mean monitoring the metabolic rate daily or
weekly.
