N. Williams et al., PROLONGED PERIPHERAL PARENTERAL-NUTRITION WITH AN ULTRAFINE CANNULA AND LOW-OSMOLALITY FEED, British Journal of Surgery, 83(1), 1996, pp. 114-116
Peripheral parenteral nutrition is an attractive alternative to centra
lly delivered parenteral nutrition because it obviates the need for ce
ntral venous cannulation and its attendant complications. Some 45 cons
ecutive patients were fed peripherally using a 22-G polyurethane cathe
ter and a fat-based, low-osmolality feed. Of these patients, 36 were f
ed for a median of 8.5 (range 3-31) days without peripheral vein throm
bophlebitis (PVT). Seven patients developed PVT after a median of 6 (r
ange 5-7) days. The cumulative daily risk of PVT was 0.016 episodes pe
r day. These results suggest that prolonged (more than 7 days) problem
-free peripheral parenteral nutrition is possible.