The Annals of pharmacotherapy
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To evaluate the safety and efficacy of parenteral and enteral glutamine supplementation in patients who are catabolic. ⋯ Glutamine has been studied extensively over the past decade for its role during critical illness. Clinical trials conducted in humans demonstrate glutamine to be well tolerated without adverse consequences, even during times of stress. Although glutamine has shown promise in select groups of catabolic patients, additional studies are needed to define which patient populations derive the greatest benefit from supplemental glutamine and the mechanisms by which these effects are exerted.