title: Adult home parenteral nutrition: a clinical evaluation after a 3-year experience in a Southern European centre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the current use of Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) in a Southern European region.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 159 (86 m, 73 f) HPN patients, mean age 60.1 +/- 14.2 years, BMI 18.8 +/- 3.3kg/m2, consecutively referred to the Artificial Nutrition outpatient Unit of the Federico II University Hospital in Naples (Italy), from January 2000 to December 2002 and treated for at least 4 weeks. Retrospective evaluation of baseline disease, indications and duration of HPN treatment, type of venous access, complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 140 (88%) were cancer and 19 (12%) noncancer patients. Main indications were carcinosis in 68 for total, and hypophagia/dysphagia in 62 patients for partial/integrative (to oral-enteral nutrition) HPN; mean duration of HPN was 81.45 +/- 110.86 days of treatment and infection rate 2.89% in the whole population and 2.66% in the 36 patients treated for more than 3 months. No other major complications have been observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HPN is confirmed to be a safe and effective treatment when prescribed and administered by a trained team.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Violante
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alfonsi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santarpia
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cillis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Negro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Caprio
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Contaldo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasanisi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D016331:Parenteral Nutrition, Home / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000592:standards; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome