Metabolic Measurements during Hypoglycemic Clamp

Blood pressure was monitored using finger plethysmography (NexFin, BMEYE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Heart rate was monitored with a 5-lead electrocardiogram (ECG; Cardiocap/5, Datex- Ohmeda) and respiration was assessed via capnography (Cardiocap/5, Datex- Ohmeda). A venous catheter was introduced in a retrograde fashion into a hand vein. The hand was placed in a heated plexiglass box (55ºC) for sampling of arterialized venous blood. Plasma glucose was measured every 5–10 minutes at the bedside using a glucose oxidase method (Analox Instruments USA Inc., Lunenberg, Massachusetts). Additional arterialized venous blood samples were drawn during baseline euglycemia and throughout the hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic clamp for measures of insulin. Baseline values are reported as an average of T-30, -20, -10, and 0 min samples and clamp values as an average of T150, 160, 170, and 180 min [31 (link)] (Figure 1).