[Nutritional support in critically ill patients; with special reference to fat emulsion and carnitine]

Energy metabolism of fat emulsion was studied in rats with septic condition. The results indicate that fat emulsion was rapidly eliminated from the blood stream and metabolized readily even in such condition. Based on these findings, we have actively employed fat emulsion clinically as an energy source of septic patients. In septic rats, it was demonstrated that levels of carnitine decreased and that this decrease was based upon a decrease of synthesis. When carnitine was administered together with fat emulsion, the energy metabolism returned to approximately normal level. This reports also describes the absorption and utilization of orally administered fat in septic rats.