Omega-3 lipids for intestinal failure associated liver disease
Intestinal failure associated liver disease (IFALD) is one of the most common and devastating complications in infants with intestinal failure. Although multifactorial, its pathophysiology is clearly related to the administration of parenteral nutrition (PN), with a recent focus on the role of PN lipid emulsions. This paper will review the evidence for the use of omega-3 fatty acid PN lipid emulsions, which are proposed to have efficacy in the treatment of IFALD. Mechanisms explaining their effects will be considered as will future research directions.
Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
Address reprint requests and correspondence: Paul W. Wales, MD, Division of General Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8 Canada
Competing interests disclosure. The authors have received funding from Fresenius Kabi, the manufacturer of Omegaven®, for an investigator-initiated randomized trial to examine SMOFlipid® for the prevention of IFALD in infants.
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