In people with severe acute pancreatitis, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) supplementation decreased disease progression/ persistence, minimized length of hospital stay, and elicited prompt reversal of organ dysfunction and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, as elucidated from a study published in International Surgery Journal.

In this double-blinded, prospective, randomized controlled trial, investigators aimed to explore the efficacy of ω-3 PUFA (soybean oil derived) infusion in 60 patients (aged 18-70 years) diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis.

The efficacy was assessed by measuring serum amylase, serum lipase and C-reactive protein with bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) and Marshal scoring systems as the markers for clinical outcome. Participants were randomized to receive either a single dose of ω-3 PUFA infusion (n=30) or placebo (n=30). For comparison, chi-square test and unpaired t-test were utilized.

ω3 PUFA infusion reduced pancreatitis progression (Figure 1) and also led to a considerable drop in serum lipase,  serum amylase, C-reactive protein levels,  Marshall score and BISAP score.

ω-3 PUFA is easily available, cheap, has no known adverse effects, decreases morbidity and mortality, and lowers the duration of hospital stay. This, in turn, leads to overall reduced medical expenditure. Thus, ω-3 PUFA infusion may be made a pivotal part of the management protocols to treat acute pancreatitis.