Improved total parenteral nutrition therapy management by a nutritional support team

This study was performed to identify and document the benefits associated with a multidisciplinary consult-based nutritional support team. The adequacy of nutritional support and incidence of metabolic complications were prospectively studied in 28 adult patients receiving total parenteral nutrition in a large private tertiary care institution during a 2-week period. Estimated daily caloric and protein requirements were met significantly more often in patients followed by our NST than in control group patients. Chloride and bilirubin abnormalities occurred significantly less often in the NST group than in the control group. The incidence of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and glucose abnormalities were also decreased in the NST patients, but these differences were not statistically significant. Patients followed by the NST were more likely to receive adequate nutrition and experience fewer metabolic abnormalities than when TPN therapy was guided solely by a physician.