DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), a global leader in nutrition therapy, announced today the publication of “Fish Oil Containing Lipid Emulsions in Adult Parenteral Nutrition: A Review of the Evidence” in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. The findings from this review of the clinical literature do not demonstrate a significant improvement in any of the clinical outcomes assessed for patients who received fish oil containing intravenous lipid emulsions (IVLEs) versus other IVLEs during parenteral nutrition (PN) therapy. The publication represents the largest qualitative review of available clinical studies, the majority of which have reported little difference in mortality, length of hospitalization, ICU-based clinical outcomes, post-operative complications, or rates of infection and sepsis.
Noting the variable quality of the relevant clinical research and literature, the publication underscores the need for high quality research into IVLEs.
“Lipid emulsions are an important component of PN therapy, yet these findings may explain why the recently published joint guidelines from the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition do not provide recommendations regarding the use of one IVLE over another,” said Alessandro Pontes-Arruda, MD, Medical Director, Baxter. “This is why Baxter is committed to supporting qualitative research to assist healthcare providers in making well-informed clinical decisions about parenteral nutrition therapy.”
PN is an intravenous (IV) therapy, which may include a balance of protein, carbohydrates, lipids, electrolytes, vitamins and trace elements for patients who require supplemental nutrition care, or cannot ingest food orally or enterally (tube-fed). IVLEs are a vital part of PN, as a source of essential fatty acids and as an energy source.
“Fish Oil Containing Lipid Emulsions in Adult Parenteral Nutrition: A Review of the Evidence,” includes a critical assessment of 34 recent randomized controlled clinical trials and other clinical studies, which encompassed more than 3,400 adult PN patients globally. Researchers used the Cochrane Collaboration assessment method to mitigate risk of bias.1
About Baxter's Global Nutrition Business
Baxter has been assisting clinicians in treating patients' diverse nutrient needs since the 1940s, when the company first introduced liquid proteins in the form of amino acids. Since then, Baxter has continued to advance PN therapy. As an example, Baxter pioneered the world's first "triple-chamber system" internationally for IV nutrition, which provides many of the essential ingredients of balanced nutrition – protein, carbohydrates, lipids and electrolytes in a single container -- simplifying the preparation of PN for patients.
Today, Baxter provides one of the broadest PN portfolios globally, which includes premix IV solutions, vitamins and lipids, as well as pharmacy workflow management, labeling and compounding technology. Baxter’s lipid emulsions are available globally in multi-chamber, ready-to-use solutions, and single solution bags that can be added to a compounded or premixed bag to ensure clinicians can prescribe the best well-balanced therapy for their individual patients.
About Baxter
Baxter provides a broad portfolio of essential renal and hospital products, including home, acute and in-center dialysis; sterile IV solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition; surgery products and anesthetics; and pharmacy automation, software and services. The company’s global footprint and the critical nature of its products and services play a key role in expanding access to healthcare in emerging and developed countries. Baxter’s employees worldwide are building upon the company’s rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of healthcare innovations that enable patient care.
Baxter is a registered trademark of Baxter International Inc.
1 Higgins JPT et al. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 510. Chapter 8: assessing the risk of bias in included studies. In: Higgins JPT, Deeks JJ, Altman DG, eds. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 510 [updated March 2011]. Oxford, UK: Cochrane Collaboration; 2011
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