Adult Home Parenteral Nutrition: a clinical evaluation after a 3-year experience in a Southern European centre

Aim: To evaluate the current use of Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) in a Southern European region. Subjects and methods: A total of 159 (86 m, 73 f) HPN patients, mean age 60.1±14.2 years, BMI 18.8±3.3 kg/m 2 , 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. Conclusion: HPN is confirmed to be a safe and effective treatment when prescribed and administered by a trained team.