Home Parenteral Nutrition*

Abstract

Parenteral nutrition is the technique of providing the body’s nutritional requirements intravenously. The nutrients are water, glucose, electrolytes, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, minerals and trace metals. Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is the method of administering this support at home. It is a technique which was developed just over two decades ago. Some infants and neonates who started on this technique in the mid 1970’s are now 18-20 years old. HPN is administered by parents or other caretakers of the child at home through an indwelling semi-permanent central venous catheter (CVC). HPN is supervised and monitored by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians (nutritionist) and social workers. This technique allows patients requiring long-term parenteral nutrition support to be cared for at home, thereby decreasing hospital stay, reducing the cost of care, promoting a near normal life style and avoiding complications associated with prolonged hospitalization.