[Effect of parenteral administration of fat on the glucose and fat metabolism in acute pancreatitis]

Abstract

Glucose intolerance is well known in acute pancreatitis. The question of this study was to clarify, if fat used partly instead of glucose in the parenteral nutrition of these patients allows to reduce the insulin necessary to control the blood glucose. A second question was if hypertriglyceridemia is caused by long term infusion of fat in such patients. 10 patients with acute necrotising pancreatitis were divided in two groups: group I (5 patients) were infused with a parenteral nutrition with fat, group II (5 patients) with a parenteral nutrition without fat. As parameters the amount of insulin needed to maintain the blood glucose at levels less than 200 mg% and the serum triglycerides were used. The blood glucose was controlled three times a day. For statistical evaluation the Student-t-test was used. The patients in group I (parenteral nutrition with fat) were infused 44 days and received insulin on 40 days. 69 units insulin/day were needed with a glucose dose of 243 g/day. The insulin dose per 100 g glucose was 29.9 U. The fat dose was 74 g/day. Group II (parenteral nutrition without fat) was infused 45 days and received insulin on 38 days. 103 units insulin/day were needed metabolized 295 g of glucose. The insulin per 100 g glucose was 28.7 units. The dose of insulin per 100 g glucose was not different between the two groups. In 1 patient a hypertriglyceridemia occurred after infusion of fat and disappeared immediately after withdrawal of the fat infusion. In the other patients no hypertriglyceridemia occurred during fat infusion. The parenteral infusion of fat has no influence on the glucose intolerance of patients with acute necrotising pancreatitis.