Mária Voleková
It is an alternative route and form of nutrition for patients with an intestinal failure, where enteral nutrition is not possible and/or effective. With technical and economic demands of the long-time parenteral nutrition, informed consent of the patient and an adequate training in handling are prerequisite. Patients are selected for the long-time PN by standardized criteria of medical, nutritional, biosomatic and psychosocial nature. Route of application is mostly to a central vein via tunneled Hickman or Broviac catheters, alternatively via an implanted venous port. A complete parenteral nutrition is available in the form of prefilled 3-chamber bags. Their content is mixed immediately before use, trace elements and vitamins are added at this time as well. The quality of life of the patients on home parenteral nutrition is better than that of the patients on haemodialysis. After 1 year 91 % patients survive, after 3 and 5 years 70 % and 62 % of patients, respectively. Most common complications are catheter disconnection and dislocation, catheter or vein obstruction, catheter sepsis, subcutaneous tunnel infection and hypoglycaemia. Long-term therapy complications comprise cholestasis, bone disease and deficiency syndromes.