Low enrollment/ expiration of the grant

The primary objective of this trial is to determine the safety and efficacy of IV fish oil doses of 0.20 g/kg and 0.50 g/kg, compared to a control group, in critically ill patients with severe sepsis by examining organ function, blood safety and biochemical parameters, markers of systemic inflammation and innate immunological parameters

Objectives: The overall objective is to determine the effect of IV fish oil on 28-day mortality of critically ill patients with severe sepsis. However, prior to such a large trial, we need to determine the optimal dose of IV fish oils in this population. Therefore, the primary objective of this proposal (FOILED) is to determine the safety and efficacy of IV fish oil doses of 0.20 g/kg and 0.50 g/kg, compared to a control group, in critically ill patients with severe sepsis by examining organ function, blood safety and biochemical parameters, markers of systemic inflammation and innate immunological parameters.

Study Design: This is a multi-centre, open-label, phase I dose ranging clinical trial with prospective controls.

Setting: 2 tertiary care ICUs in Germany (Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden and University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Giessen).

Patients: Mechanically ventilated adult patients (>18 years old) admitted to ICU with clinical evidence of sepsis, sepsis associated organ dysfunction, and high expression of inflammatory cytokines.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult ICU patients
• Requiring invasive or non-invasive ventilation
• Clinical evidence of sepsis
• Presence of one or more organ failures

Exclusion Criteria:

• >24 hours from admission to ICU to time of consent
• Low level of inflammatory cytokine (IL-6(qualitative assay <100 pg/ml)
• lack of commitment to full aggressive care (anticipated withholding or withdrawing treatments in the first week)
• Immunocompromised (post-organ transplantation, HIV, neutropenic [<1000 PMN], steroids >20 mgs/day for 6 months).
• Chronic non-invasive ventilation (except if they become mechanically ventilated)
• Platelet count of < 30 GPt/L
• Pregnant patients. Urine/blood tests for pregnancy will be done on all women of childbearing age by each site as part of standard of ICU practice.
• Previous enrollment in this study
• Enrollment in other ICU intervention study
• Allergy to fish or fish oil (shellfish allergy not an exclusion criterion)
• Has already received enteral or IV omega-3 fatty acids during this hospitalization and current ICU admission.