NUTRITIVE MIXTURES - FROM INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT TO HOME PATIENT

Total parenteral nutrition with ''All in one'' nutritive mixtures is u sed in France from 1970. These advances ensure a more simple treatment for intensive care units. Nutritive mixtures provide the caloric and nitrogen daily requirements added with micronutrients (electrolytes, t race elements and vitamins) and this technique allows home parenteral nutrition. ''All in one'' nutritive mixtures have reduced the infectio us complications and the industrial quality control during parenteral solutes admiring has decreased again this infectious risk. So, nutriti ve mixtures result in sparing of nurse time, material for preparation and antibiotic costs. Moreover, although the costs of home parenteral nutrition are considerable, this technique still reduces annual costs by 50% to 70%, avoids prolonged hospitalization and allows the patient s to resume a more normal existence at home. Development of new techno logies and nutritive mixtures for specific malnutrition are now requir ed to improve treatment of these patients with insufficiency digestive tract.