VITAMIN-K STATUS AND PARENTERAL-NUTRITION - THE EFFECT OF INTRALIPID ON PLASMA VITAMIN-K1 LEVELS

Parenteral nutrition may affect the patient's vitamin K status. This i mposes a risk when using drugs that interfere with the vitamin K-depen dent clotting factor synthesis, such as N-methyl-thiotetrazole-contain ing cephalosporins. Intravenous lipid emulsions based on plant oils ma y contain phylloquinone (vitamin K1). We estimated the vitamin K1 cont ent of the intravenous lipid emulsion product Intralipid (20%), an emu lsion based on soybean oil, and estimated the vitamin K1 status of rec ipient patients. The emulsion was found to contain 0.6-0.7 mug/ml of t he vitamin. Patients supplied with the product per continuous intraven ous infusion, showed a steady increase of their plasma vitamin K1 leve ls, 3-30-fold over 4 days of infusion. In conclusion, the study shows that fat emulsions prepared from plant oils may contain vitamin K1 in sufficient amounts to meet the daily requirement.