Background: Nutrition optimisation is imperative in paediatric patients with heart failure. Energy needs can be assessed using indirect calorimetry.
Methods: Presented are two cases of children with clinical heart failure who benefited from indirect calorimetry.
Results: Using indirect calorimetry, it was determined both cases were hypermetabolic.
Conclusion: These cases demonstrate the impact of heart failure on metabolic rate and growth. Energy requirements were up to two times higher than estimations from predictive equations.
Keywords: Heart failure; energy expenditure; indirect calorimetry; paediatric.