Homecare News

The current drug shortages present challenges to practitioner trying to meet the needs of their long term TPN patients with limited supply.  An article in this months JPEN offers some suggestions for the home care practitioner. Follow the below link to check out the abstract.

http://pen.sagepub.com/content/35/6/736.abstract

New research articles on the vitamin D status of home parenteral patients and the benefits of a home enteral nutrition support team in Poland:

Thomson P, Duerksen D. Vitamin D deficiency in patients receiving home parenteral nutrition. JPEN. 2011. May 3. [Epub ahead of print].

Klek S, Szybinski P, Sierzega M, et al. Commerical enteral formulas and nutrition support teams improve the outcome of home enteral tube feeding. JPEN. 2011. May-June;35(3):380-5.

New articles in home nutrition support:

The first article is a pediatric chart review looking at hepatic biochemical measurements and hepatic biopsies related to patient characteristics. Peyret B, Collardeau S, Touzet S, et al. Prevalence of liver complications in children receiving long-term parenteral nutrition. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2001:1-7.

The second article is a review article looking at indications and delivery of parenteral nutrition in adult patients in hopes to improve treatment while limiting complications.  Wanten G, Calder P, Forbes A. Managing adult patients who need home parenteral nutrition. BMJ. 2011;26(342):696-701.

Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) continues to be the primary treatment for intestinal failure.  Since the 1960's, clinicians continue to evaluate their process in hopes of preventing complications associated with HPN.  Listed below are two international references assessing survival and compliations from HPN and an article further confirming the use of ethanol lock to prevent catheter infections in pediatric patients.

Vafa H, Ballarin A, Arvanitakis M, et al. Lessons from a 20 year experience of home parenteral nutrition in adult patients. Acta Gastroenterol Belg. 2010;73(4):451-6.

The Oley Foundation November/December 2010 is now available at: 

http://www.oley.org/newsletter.html