[Essential fatty acids in the plasma of severely injured patients under parenteral feeding]

After a heavy injury there are characteristic changes of plasma lipids and lipoproteins. In 7 patients up to 40 days after major injury the fatty acids of cholesteryl esters, phospholipids and triglycerides in plasma under the influence of injury, parenteral nutrition with carbohydrates or fat, and protein-sparing therapy were determined by gas liquid chromatography. These patients' increased requirement for linoleic acid is further increased by up to more than 50 g per day by carbohydrate-rich parenteral nutrition, inhibiting lypolysis of linoleic acid from adipose tissue. Protein-sparing therapy without carbohydrates is not sufficient to cover the patients' increased requirement for linoleic acid. Thus, the early administration of fat emulsions in parenteral nutrition is recommended.