Pros And Cons Of Adapting Artificial Parental Nutrition

What is parental nutrition?

Parental nutrition which is also known as intravenous feeding is a mechanism where the body gets the nutrition through the veins. Parental nutrition delivers nutriments such as carbohydrates, sugar, proteins, lipids and trace elements to the body. This nutrition is used for those who cannot get their core nutrients from food. Few examples include patients with the short bowel syndrome, cancer and Crohn's disease. It is also used for patients who suffer from conditions that results in low blood flow to the bowels.

The objective of nutritional support is to restrict fat-free mass loss which has its own negative consequences. Critical illness is characterised by metabolic and nutritional disorders, which results in hyperglycaemia and fat-free mass loss. Enteral nutrition is frequently associated with energy requirements but with insufficient coverage. Subsequent energy declination worsens the clinical outcome.

Side effects of parental nutrition

Few of the most common side effects of parental nutrition are skin changes, mouth sores and poor night vision. Patients should consult the doctor if the problems persist. The other common side effects are

• Memory loss
• Fatigue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Muscle weakness and cramps
• Irregular heartbeat
• Swelling of limbs
• Irregularities of weight
• Fever or chills
• Stomach ache
• Reflexes
• Tingling of hands and limbs
• Thirst
• Vomiting

Benefits of parental nutrition

Few of the most common problem of using parental nutrition is getting Liver disease, catheter infection, bone disease and blood clots are few other risks.

The most common risk of using parental nutrition is developing catheter infection. Other risks include blood clots, liver disease, and bone disease. It is mandatory to maintain needles, catheters, clean tubing and other equipment to minimize these risks.

What is artificial parental nutrition?

Artificial parental nutrition is used for patients who desire to prolong their life at their earlier stages of serious illness. At the end of life, there are no benefits to support the use of artificial parental nutrition. Artificial nutrition or hydration is a treatment that delivers fluids or nutrition of any means other than a human being, providing him something in his mouth and make the patient swallow it.

There are two types of artificial nutrition and hydration.

1. Enteral: When nutrition via fluids is delivered through a tube placed in the patient’s gastrointestinal tract. The tube may be placed via nose and throat to the stomach (nasogastric tube) or small intestine. The way is when the tube is surgically placed in the intestine (jejunostomy tube) or through the abdomen wall in the stomach (gastrostomy tube).

2. Parental: When a catheter is being used to deliver nutrition or fluids, which is usually placed in a vein of the body. It may be placed in a central vein (one of the larger veins of the body which is closer to the heart) or in a peripheral vein (which is placed in the lower part of the arm).

Here are few pros and cons of artificial parental nutrition:

Pros

• Ease of administration
• Nutrition in setting of mucositis
• Easier correction of fluid and electrolyte disturbances

Cons

• High financial cost
• Catheter-associated infections
• Fluid overload
• Hyperglycemia
• Catheter-associated thrombosis
• Hepatic dysfunction
• Promotes enterocyte atrophy leading to loss of gut barrier function
• Abnormalities due to blood electrolyte 
• Additional nursing time for activities which are nonclinical