Among patients in hospital intensive care units, fish oil administered intraveneously improves gas exchange, reduces inflammatory chemicals and results in a shorter length of hospital stay.
Patients in hospital intensive care units are at increased risk for both inflammation and infection, both of which can compromise outcome. Philip Calder, from the University of Southampton (United Kingdom), and colleagues studied 23 patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis in a Portuguese hospital. In the 13 patients who received intraveneous fish oil, the team observes that the: “Inclusion of fish oil … increases plasma eicosapentaenoic acid, modifies inflammatory cytokine concentrations and improves gas exchange. These changes are associated with a tendency towards shorter length of hospital stay.“
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Barbosa VM, Miles EA, Calhau C, Lafuente E, Calder PC. “Effects of a fish oil containing lipid emulsion on plasma phospholipid fatty acids, inflammatory markers, and clinical outcomes in septic patients: a randomized, controlled clinical trial.” Critical Care, 2010, 14:R5, 19 January 2010; doi:10.1186/cc8844.