Application value of ω-3 fish oil fat emulsion in the parenteral nutritional support treatment following radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Objective To investigate the application value of ω-3 fish oil fat emulsion in the parenteral nutritional support treatment following radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 60 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer in Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi Second Hospital between January 2018 and December 2018 were collected. There were 37 males and 23 females, aged from 28 to 78 years, with an average age of 64 years. Thirty patients who received parenteral nutrition containing 100 mL of ω-3 fish oil fat emulsion after radical gastrectomy and 30 patients who received parenteral nutrition containing routine fat emulsion after radical gastrectomy were allocated into experimental group and control group, respectively. Observation indicators: (1) nutritional indicators in the perioperative period; (2) inflammatory indicators in the perioperative period; (3) immune indicators in the perioperative period; (4) postoperative complications. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and comparison between groups was evaluated using the independent-sample t test. Count data were described as absolute numbers and percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test. Repeated measurement data were analyzed by the repeated measures ANOVA. Results (1) Nutritional indicators in the perioperative period: the levels of total protein, albumin, prealbumin, and transferrin from preoperative day 1 to preoperative day 6 were respectively changed from (60.2±3.0)g/L to (57.2±3.1)g/L, from (35.3±3.1)g/L to (37.0±1.8)g/L, from (186±24)mg/L to (172±17)mg/L, from (3.0±0.7)g/L to (2.4±0.4)g/L in the experimental group and from (60.6±2.4)g/L to (55.7±4.2)g/L, from (35.0±3.8)g/L to (36.0±3.8)g/L, from (184±18)mg/L to (173±25)mg/L, from (3.1±0.6)g/L to (2.2±0.8)g/L in the control group, with no significant difference in the changing trends between the two groups (F=0.79, 2.14, 0.03, 0.36, P>0.05). (2) Inflammatory indicators in the perioperative period: the levels of white blood cells, C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor-α from preoperative day 1 to preoperative day 6 were respectively from (7.2±1.1)×109/L to (10.2±0.9)×109/L, from (7.2±2.3)mg/L to (25.5±6.3)mg/L, from (16±3)ng/L to (24±4)ng/L, from (17±4)ng/L to (22±5)ng/L in the experimental group and from (7.4±0.8)×109/L to (13.0±1.3)×109/L, from (6.9±2.4)mg/L to (41.6±18.9)mg/L, from (17±4)ng/L to (45±8)ng/L, from (16±4)ng/L to (43±7)ng/L in the control group, respectively, with significant differences in the changing trends between the two groups (F=63.05, 51.65, 127.82, 104.91, P 0.05). (4) Postoperative complications: 5 patients had postoperative complications, with a incidence rate of 16.7%(5/30), including 1 of abdominal infection, 1 of incisional infection, and 3 of pulmonary infection, and all the 5 patients were cured after symptomatic treatment. Nine patients had postoperative complications, with a incidence rate of 30.0%(9/30), including 2 of abdominal infection, 2 of incisional infection, and 5 of pulmonary infection, and all the 9 patients were cured after symptomatic treatment. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (χ2=1.491, P>0.05). Conclusion For patients who receive gastric cancer surgery, ω-3 fish oil fat emulsion can reduce the inflammatory response, improve their immune function and not increase postoperative complications. Key words: Gastric neoplasms; Gastric cancer; ω-3 fish oil fat emulsion; Nutritional support; Perioperative period; Complications