title: Use of n-3 PUFAs can decrease the mortality in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been several meta-analyses evaluating the effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in critically ill patients, but of these, none focused on patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) on this narrow subset.
  
  
  METHODS
  All relevant articles were searched on MEDLINE, EMBASE, SpringerLink, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from 1990 to 2014. Meta-analyses were used to evaluate risk ratios and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals between the n-3 PUFA group and the control group. Subgroup analyses were conducted in terms of the route of fish oil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 783 adult patients were included in this study. Compared with control groups, n-3 FA provision can significantly reduce the incidence of mortality (RR: 0.77 [0.60, 0.97]; P=0.03; I2=0%). Secondary outcomes showed no significant differences between groups except for shorter length of hospital stay (weighted mean difference: -10.56 [-19.76, -1.36], p<0.00001, I2=99%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, this meta-analysis from RCTs indicates that provision of n-3 PUFAs has a therapeutic effect on survival rate in patients with SIRS.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. 395412495@qq.com.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Clinical College of South Medical University, Guangdong Province, China. 547625433@qq.com.
authors.forename: Xuejin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. 465969101@qq.com.
authors.forename: Jingcheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. 965436503@qq.com.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. wxinying@263.net.
authors.forename: Xinying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils