[Serum concentrations of endogenously released non-esterified fatty acids in intensive care patients]

The unesterified fatty acids (UEFA) in the serum are the only connection for the supply of fatty acids for energy or structural purposes of the organism when external nutrition is interrupted and the reserves in the fat-stores are mobilized. Only the UEFA are representativ for this mechanism. As a part of an investigation-program on the fat-metabolism and its relation to energy-balance under different and defined metabolic states the supply of energy-producing substrates from the longterm energy stores was investigated in 24 patients from the intensive care unit over a period of 20 days. Because controverse interpretations of mechanisms in the energy metabolism in the stressed phase of the organism after traumata aso. exist in the literature the influence of therapeutical and nutritional actions on fat mobilizing process was evaluated by quantitative analysis of the different fatty acids in the fraction of UEFA in the serum. The linoleic acid was of a special interest for which a sufficient supply over the period of investigation can be demonstrated.