Is a method of feeding that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract.
Total parenteral nutrition. A method of providing all nutrients needed through a solution infused into a large blood vessel.
Administration of a nutritionally adequate solution (containing, e.g., proteins, electrolytes, and vitamins) through a catheter into the vena cava; used to provide nutrients in cases of long-term coma, severe bums, and severe gastrointestinal or malabsorption syndromes; also called hyperalimentation.
The intravenous provision of dextrose, amino acids, emulsified fats, trace elements, vitamins, and minerals to patients who are unable to assimilate adequate nutrition by mouth. Patients with many illnesses become malnourished if they are unable to eat a balanced diet for more than a few weeks. Patients who have been hospitalized for a prolonged period, have had no oral intake for several days, or have a cachectic disorder should be assessed for the need for nutritional support. However, only a small percentage of these patients clearly benefit from parenteral nutritional support in clinical trials. Patients who benefit most from TPN are those at the extremes of nutritional risk (e.g., preterm or newborn infants who require surgery or the 5% of adult surgical candidates who are the most nutritionally deficient). Patients who may occasionally benefit from TPN include those with inflammatory bowel disease, radiation enteritis, bowel obstruction, and related intestinal diseases. In many other patients, the anticipated risks of malnutrition and starvation are exceeded by the potential risks of TPN, which include injury during central line placement, sepsis as a result of infectious contamination of intravenous lines, and metabolic complications (e.g., refeeding syndrome).
Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is a solution comprising all essential nutrients, such as protein, fat, calories, vitamins, and minerals. Administered intravenously over several hours, TPN serves as a comprehensive and well-balanced source of nourishment for patients who are unable to consume a regular diet.