ABSTRACT
A liquid emulsion is a dispersion of one immiscible phase within another, with a surfactant used to stabilize the dispersed droplets. Water-in-oil emulsions for vaccine delivery are given by intramuscular injection and are designed for sustained release. Lipid emulsions form an integral part of intravenous nutrition as a source of energy and fatty acids essential to life. Energy from lipids is delivered to tissues in the form of free FA, which are released from adipose tissue by lipolysis and distributed in the circulation bound to albumin. Intravenous administration of lipid emulsions is well tolerated, and the incidence of adverse events is less than 0.1%. Most complications arise when the rate of administration exceeds the rate of TAG clearance and hypertriglyceridemia ensues. Intravenous or parenteral nutrition (PN), the provision of a sterile solution of nutrients by intravenous administration, has evolved in step with the acquisition of knowledge of chemistry, physiology, and microbiology.
