A new systematic literature review and meta-analysis^[1] confirms and extends previous results that omega-3 (ω-3) fatty-acid enriched parenteral nutrition (PN) improves clinical outcomes compared with standard PN in adult patients. Including a total of 49 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), this literature review provides the most extensive and up-to-date analysis* of the effect of ω-3 fatty-acid enriched PN on patient outcomes.

According to this analysis, adding ω-3 fatty acids to PN significantly reduces the risk of infections by 40 % and the length of ICU and hospital stays by two days compared with standard PN. Moreover, the analysis revealed that PN enriched with fish oil significantly reduces sepsis by 56 %. An analysis of RCTs reporting laboratory parameters furthermore suggests that ω-3 fatty-acid enriched PN can have beneficial effects on liver chemistry, antioxidant status, markers of inflammation, and the fatty-acid profile. The authors conclude that lipid emulsions enriched with ω-3 fatty acids should be preferred over standard lipid emulsions in patients needing PN.

about the review and meta-analysis

The meta-analysis by Lorenzo Pradelli and colleagues was published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition in June 2019. The review includes a total of 49 RCTs with 3641 adult hospital patients comparing outcomes between groups receiving ω-3 fatty-acid enriched lipid emulsions and groups receiving standard lipid emulsions as part of PN. only those RCTs were included, in which PN accounted for at least 70 % of the patients daily energy provision. RCTs with off-label interventions were excluded from the analysis.