The elimination of free fatty acids, free glycerol and triglycerides from the plasma of low-birth-weight infants receiving intravenous fat emulsion and glucose

The disappearance rate of plasma. free glycerol, free fatty acids and triglycerides following the termination of short-term (6-hr) infusion of fat emulsion (Intralipid) was studied in 12 low-birth-weight infants. The mean K values for each lipid component were found to be higher in infants receiving 10% glucose. Owing to the wide individual variation of responses and the small number of infants studied, only the disappearance rate of free fatty acids reached the level of significance. It is concluded that increased amounts of glucose given simultaneously with fat emulsion could diminish hyperlipidaemia by increasing the clearance of lipids from the plasma.