Intravenous Nutrition in Hospitalized Patients: Comparison of Two Oils

Overview

Intravenous nutrition is an important therapy for the recovery of many patients. It is indicated when the patients cannot take food by mouth or use their intestines for feeding. It is important to indicate it in the appropriate setting because it's not free of complications and is a costly treatment. Some of the complications are: elevated blood sugar or lipids, elevated liver function tests, infection of the catheter or device used to administer intravenous nutrition. Intravenous nutrition is composed by proteins, lipids, carbohydrates (sugar in the form of glucose) and vitamins. Until recently, Intralipid, a soybean oil-based lipid emulsion was the only lipid available in Canada for this kind of nutrition. Since 2010, a new lipid emulsion (ClinOleic) based on olive-oil has been approved by Health Canada for use in intravenous nutrition. There is an increasing need for hospitals to evaluate the quality of intravenous nutrition administered to hospitalized patients in terms of: assessing indications, prescription, complications, clinical results and costs. The objective of this study is to determine if intravenous nutrition prescribed in hospitalized patients is indicated following existing guidelines in terms of timing of nutrition support, prescription, monitoring and whether it is associated with complications. In addition, length of stay and mortality will be assessed. Also, we will evaluate nutritional, infectious and inflammatory parameters in patients receiving soybean oil-based lipid emulsion (Intralipid) compared to those of patients receiving olive oil-based lipid emulsion (ClinOleic).

Until recently, Intralipid, a soybean oil-based lipid emulsion, has been the only available lipid for intravenous use in Canada. In 2010, ClinOleic, a new, predominantly olive oil based emulsion, has been approved by Health Canada as an alternative lipid. There is an increasing need for hospitals to do quality-assurance studies for in-patient parenteral nutrition (PN) to assess indications, PN prescription, complications, clinical outcomes and costs. The only in-patient population that is well studied is the intensive care unit (ICU) population. Several meta-analyses showed that PN was associated with higher infection rate, longer length of stay and higher mortality when compared with enteral nutrition. Results from these and other studies were the basis for the Canadian ICU Guidelines. The aim of this study is to determine if PN prescribed in in-patients is indicated, appropriately following existing guidelines in terms of timing of nutrition support, prescription and monitoring and, whether it is associated with complications. In addition, clinical outcomes such as length of stay and mortality will be assessed. Also, we will evaluate metabolic, nutritional, infectious and inflammatory parameters in patients receiving soybean oil-based lipid emulsion compared to those of patients receiving olive oil-based lipid emulsion.