Intravenous fish oil in ICU effective

SOUTHAMPTON, England, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Fish oil given intravenously to patients in intensive care reduces inflammation and results in a shorter hospital stay, British researchers found.

Philip Calder of the University of Southampton worked with a team of researchers to carry out the trial in 23 patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis in the Hospital Padre Americo in Portugal.

"Recently there has been increased interest in the fat and oil component of vein-delivered nutrition, with the realization that it not only supplies energy and essential building blocks, but may also provide bioactive fatty acids," Calder said in a statement. "Traditional solutions use soybean oil, which does not contain the omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish oil that act to reduce inflammatory responses. In fact, soybean oil is rich in omega-6 acids that may actually promote inflammation in an excessive or unbalanced supply."

Calder and colleagues found the 13 patients in the fish oil group had lower levels of inflammatory agents in their blood, achieved better lung function and left hospital earlier than the 10 patients who received traditional nutrition.

The finding was published in the journal Critical Care.