Adult home parenteral nutrition: a clinical evaluation after a 3-year experience in a Southern European centre.
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.
Violante
G
G
Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Alfonsi
L
L
Santarpia
L
L
Cillis
M C
MC
Negro
G
G
De Caprio
C
C
Russo
N
N
Contaldo
F
F
Pasanisi
F
F
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