[Disorders of hemostasis during intake of lipids]

Lipid emulsions based upon soya triglycerides and widely used in parenteral nutrition. Haematological surveillance of the patients, and in particular the study of coagulation, shows slight changes in platelet adhesiveness and a transient hypercoagulability state proportional to the concentration of the lipid emulsion. Nevertheless, these findings must be interpreted with the greatest caution, inasmuch as the laboratory tests involved are technically delicate. The results obtained may be contradictory according to the protocol used. Finally, in patients receiving intensive therapy, there are multiple factors (stress, prolonge;d bedrest, hypercatabolism) which may alter coagulation quite independently of the prescription of lipids.