Sep 18, 2007
Ask Drew: Feeding
There are two other drips that also contain glucose, running at 1cc per hour each. That means the remaining volume (15cc) has to be made up somehow. The solution is TPN, a bag of yellow nutrients including salts, glucose, amino acids, and vitamins. This is dripped directly into his bloodstream through one of his lines. Since it isn't exactly the natural process of providing nutrients to the body, it can cause problems with the liver, including cholestasis due to gallstones. This isn't an immediate threat, but long-term use of TPN can cause problems. It's different with every child and not necessarily irreversible, but it's definitely better to switch to milk as soon as possible. They're not worried about these problems right now, especially not enough to risk the reflux that could be caused by too much milk. They plan on going to about half-feeds (12-13cc per hour) and holding stable until they can do the stomach valve surgery.
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Hi J & D. Why is the nutrient mixture bad for the liver and kidneys? Does he receive some milk as well?