Background: TPN infusions are usually administered during a treatment period of 10-24 hours per day due to the metabolic capacity of the liver. During this time interval physicochemically stable TPN solution (emulsion) is needed for the treatment. The purpose of the present study was to examine how the kinetic stability features of ready-made total parenteral nutrition admixtures containing olive oil and soybean oil will change under the usage-modeling 24-hour application with and without overdose Ca2+.
Methods: Particle size analysis and zeta potential measurements were carried out to evaluate the possible changes in the kinetic stability of the emulsions.
Results: Our results indicate that in two of the four mixtures bimodal droplet-size distribution figures were detected and appearance of fat particles over 5 μm can not be disclosed. The tendency for separation of large diameter droplets in the two types of oil-based emulsion systems was different. In case of soybean containing emulsion second peak of droplets appeared in the bottom of the container in contrast to the olive oil containing emulsions where the second peak appeared in the surface layer. Interestingly this phenomenon is independent of calcium-content.
Conclusions: From therapeutic point the emulsions of the bigger droplets containing upper layer are safer because the potentially dangerous big droplets could remain in the infusion bag after the administration.