Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

Descriptions


Fat emulsion, fish oil, and soybean oil combination injection is used to provide nutritional support in patients who are unable to get enough fat in their diet. Fats are used by the body for energy and to form substances needed for normal body functions.

This medicine is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

  • Emulsion

Before Using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of fat emulsion injection, fish oil, and soybean oil combination injection in children. However, children are more likely to have kidney problems, which may require caution in patients receiving this medicine.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of fat emulsion injection, fish oil, and soybean oil combination injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more sensitive to the effects of this medicine than younger adults.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Warfarin

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Allergy to egg, fish, soybean, or peanut proteins or
  • Hypertriglyceridemia (high triglycerides in the blood)—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.
  • Diabetes or
  • Metabolic disorder or
  • Obesity—Use with caution. May increase risk of developing hypertriglyceridemia.
  • Infection—May decrease your body's ability to fight infections.
  • Kidney disease—Giving this medicine for a long time in preterm babies may increase risk for aluminum toxicity.
  • Undernourished patients, severely—May cause refeeding syndrome. Monitor and increase nutrient intake slowly for the patients.

Proper Use

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you or your child this medicine in a medical facility. It is given through a needle placed into one of your veins.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress closely while you are receiving this medicine. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests will be needed to check for unwanted effects.

This medicine may cause parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease (PNALD). This usually occurs in patients who have been receiving parenteral nutrition for a long time, especially pre-term infants. Check with your doctor right away if you have chills, clay-colored stools, dark urine, diarrhea, dizziness, fever, headache, itching, loss of appetite, nausea, rash, unpleasant breath odor, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting of blood, or yellow eyes or skin.

This medicine may cause acute respiratory distress syndrome and metabolic acidosis in newborns and infants after rapid infusion. Check with your doctor right away if your child has blue lips, fingernails, or skin, difficult, confusion, drowsiness, fast breathing, muscle tremors, nausea, restlessness, stomach cramps, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

This medicine may cause a rare condition called fat overload syndrome. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have a fever, chills, cough, sore throat, upper right abdominal or stomach pain and fullness, or unusual bleeding, bruising, or weakness.

This medicine may cause a serious allergic reaction, which can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Tell your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, hoarseness, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth after using this medicine.

This medicine may increase your risk of developing infections. Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections while you or your child are receiving this medicine. Wash your hands often. Tell your doctor if you have any kind of infection before you start receiving this medicine. Also tell your doctor if you have ever had an infection that would not go away or an infection that kept coming back.

Call your doctor right away if you or your child start to have a cough that will not go away, weight loss, night sweats, fever, chills, or flu-like symptoms, such as a runny or stuffy nose, headache, blurred vision, or feeling generally ill. These may be signs that you have an infection.

This medicine may cause aluminum toxicity (too much aluminum in the blood), which may damage the brain and can be life-threatening. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you are receiving this medicine. The results of some tests may be affected by this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

  1. Blurred vision
  2. dry mouth
  3. flushed, dry skin
  4. fruit-like breath odor
  5. increased hunger
  6. increased thirst
  7. increased urination
  8. nausea
  9. sweating
  10. trouble breathing
  11. unexplained weight loss
  12. unusual tiredness or weakness
  13. vomiting

Less common

  1. Bladder pain
  2. bloody or cloudy urine
  3. chills
  4. confusion
  5. difficult, burning, or painful urination
  6. dizziness
  7. fainting
  8. fever
  9. frequent urge to urinate
  10. headache
  11. lower back or side pain
  12. nervousness
  13. pale skin
  14. pounding in the ears
  15. rapid, shallow breathing
  16. slow or fast heartbeat
  17. unusual bleeding or bruising

Rare

  1. Chest pain or tightness
  2. changes in skin color
  3. clay-colored stools
  4. cough
  5. dark urine
  6. eye pain
  7. general feeling of illness
  8. itching, skin rash
  9. loss of appetite
  10. pain, tenderness, or swelling of the foot or leg
  11. sneezing
  12. sore throat
  13. unpleasant breath odor
  14. vomiting of blood
  15. yellow eyes or skin

Incidence not known

  1. Black, tarry stools
  2. bleeding gums
  3. blood in the urine or stools
  4. blue lips, fingernails, or skin
  5. bluish color
  6. chest tightness
  7. confusion
  8. difficulty in swallowing
  9. irregular heartbeat
  10. muscle cramps, pain, or tremors
  11. numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet
  12. pinpoint red spots on the skin
  13. problems with bleeding or clotting
  14. restlessness
  15. sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
  16. stomach cramps
  17. swelling of the face, throat, or tongue
  18. swollen glands
  19. trouble breathing
  20. upper right abdominal or stomach pain and fullness

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Less common

  1. Acid or sour stomach
  2. belching
  3. bloated
  4. excess air or gas in the stomach or intestines
  5. full feeling
  6. heartburn
  7. indigestion
  8. passing gas
  9. stomach discomfort or upset

Rare

  1. Change in taste
  2. loss of taste

Incidence not known

  1. Increased sweating

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Portions of this document last updated: Feb. 01, 2024

Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/drugs-supplements/fat-emulsion-fish-oil-and-soybean-oil-intravenous-route/proper-use/drg-20531811