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Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Assessing Whole-Body Lipid-Handling Capacity in Mice
Published on: November 24, 2020
Effect of Critical Illness on Triglyceride Absorption
Yasmine Ali Abdelhamid1, Caroline E Cousins2, Jennifer A Sim3
1Department of Critical Care Services, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia yasmineaa@hotmail.com.
Critically ill patients show significantly reduced small intestinal lipid absorption compared to healthy individuals. This impaired lipid absorption, crucial for nutrition, may impact patient outcomes and requires further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Enteral nutrition is vital for critically ill patients, optimizing outcomes.
- Small intestinal glucose absorption is often impaired in critical illness.
- Lipid absorption during critical illness remains poorly understood despite lipids being a major nutrient component.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare small intestinal lipid and glucose absorption in critically ill patients versus healthy individuals.
- To investigate the impact of critical illness on nutrient absorption pathways.
Main Methods:
- Studied 29 mechanically ventilated patients and 16 healthy volunteers.
- Administered a liquid nutrient containing (13)C-triolein (for lipid absorption) and 3-O-methyl-glucose (3-OMG, for glucose absorption) directly into the duodenum.
- Measured exhaled (13)CO2 and serum 3-OMG concentrations over 360 minutes to quantify absorption.
Main Results:
- Critically ill patients exhibited significantly lower lipid absorption (22.6% vs 40.7% cumulative percentage dose of (13)CO2).
- While initial glucose absorption was lower in patients, it normalized by 360 minutes.
- No correlation was found between lipid and glucose absorption rates.
Conclusions:
- Small intestinal lipid absorption is markedly diminished in critically ill patients.
- Impaired lipid absorption may have implications for nutritional support strategies in critical care.
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