Use of n-3 PUFAs can decrease the mortality in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome: a systematic...

Area of Science:

• Critical care medicine
• Nutritional science
• Clinical research methodology

Background:

• Previous meta-analyses on n-3 PUFAs in critically ill patients exist, but none specifically focused on patients with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS).
• There is a need to understand the specific impact of n-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) in the context of SIRS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) on patients diagnosed with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS).
• To determine if n-3 PUFAs improve outcomes such as mortality and length of hospital stay in SIRS patients.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SpringerLink, Cochrane) from 1990 to 2014.
• Meta-analyses were performed to calculate risk ratios and mean differences for mortality and hospital stay.
• Subgroup analyses were performed based on the route of fish oil administration.

Main Results:

• Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 783 adult patients met the inclusion criteria.
• n-3 Fatty acid (FA) supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of mortality (RR: 0.77 [0.60, 0.97]; P=0.03).
• A significant reduction in length of hospital stay was observed (WMD: -10.56 [-19.76, -1.36], p<0.00001), with high heterogeneity (I2=99%).

Conclusions:

• The meta-analysis of RCTs indicates that n-3 PUFAs have a beneficial therapeutic effect on survival rates in patients with SIRS.
• n-3 PUFAs may be a valuable intervention for improving outcomes in SIRS patients.