Acute folate deficiency associated with intravenous nutrition with aminoacid-sorbitol-ethanol: prophylaxis with intravenous folic acid.

Preoperative folate levels were initially normal in 30 patients with gastrointestinal tract disease but fell within 48 h by 60-95% in 20 patients who received intravenous nutrition for 6-12 d with aminoacid-sorbitol-ethanol (ASE). This depression persisted in patients not given folate supplements. Folate levels in 10 control patients not given ASE showed only minimal decline. Haematological changes were reduced to a minimum in 10 patients given 0.5 mg i.v. folic acid daily whilst eight unsupplemented patients showed evidence of megaloblastic haemopoiesis. Three of these eight patients developed thrombocytopenia and/or leukopenia which was fatal in one patient.