Do fat emulsions protect against infusion thrombophlebitis? An experimental study.

The clinical experience that a fat emulsion (Intralipid) protects the vein against infusion thrombophlebitis caused by an amino acid solution (Aminosol) was controlled by an experimental method based on a quantitative histological analysis of the inflammatory changes observed in the veins of rabbit ears after infusions. In a controlled blind study, sequential analysis failed to reveal any difference in the histological changes which developed after infusion of Aminosol alone and Aminosol plus Intralipid. In a second series of experiments in which Intralipid was compared with 0.9% NaCl it was demonstrated that the fat emulsion alone gave rise to considerable inflammatory changes in the veins.