Cluster Analysis of Nutritional and Immunological Indicators for Identification of High Risk Surgical Patients

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Abstract
To evaluate the usefulness of nephelometry in predicting hyperlipidemia in neonates receiving intravenous fat (IVF), 23 infants in our neonatal intensive care nursery had simultaneous measurements of the serum IVF level (as determined by nephelometry), triglyceride, cholesterol, and free fatty acid/albumin molar ratio. There was a positive correlation between the serum IVF level and triglycerides, but the IVF level did not reliably predict elevated triglycerides, cholesterol, or free fatty acid-albumin molar ratio. Thus, neonates receiving IVF emulsions cannot be monitored by nephelometry alone. Adequate monitoring requires measurement of specific lipid fractions.