Dr. Miriam Theilla

Lecturer, Department of Nursing, Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine
 

The Effect of Fish Oil Enriched Diet on Wound Healing Processes in ICU Patients

Wound healing is the complex, multi-stage response to tissue injury. This physiologic repair response requires a dynamic temporal and spatial interplay of several cell types, including local parenchymal and mesenchymal cells as well as resident and recruited inflammatory cells. N-3 Fatty acids are recognized as influencing both wound healing and immunity .Our group studies the impact and the specific role of fish oil- and micronutrient enriched formulae on the healing of pressure ulcers and on immune function mediated through a modulation of expression of adhesion molecules in critically ill patients.

Our results show a reduction in inflammation levels of C – reactive protein concentrations and increasing levels of adhesion molecules preceding the subsequent reduction in ulcer severity of critically ill patients.

The formulae may ameliorate the inflammatory response, both in magnitude and duration, probably mediated by an effect on adhesion molecule expression. by promoting the transition from an inflammatory to reparative stage of wound healing.