The Consequences of Intravenous Clofibrate and its Implications in the Treatment of Fat Embolism

Intravenously administered clofibrate has previously been used in treating experimental fat embolism. In the present study, this procedure was found to produce a syndrome identical to classical experimental fat embolism syndrome. Following the intravenous injection of clofibrate, and the lungs of rats became hemorrhagic and edematous (increased weight) and contained fat globules (clofibrate emboli) when observed microscopically. Dosages of 100 to 0.88305 mul/100 gm body weight produced symptoms ranging from acute death due to massive embolism of lungs to a subclinical fat (clofibrate) embolism syndrome.