[Parenteral nutrition and identification of subpopulations with similar nutritional needs]

The aim of this study is to identify patients subpopulations with similar caloric and proteic needs (CPN) and developing and assessing the utility of standarized formulations of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with equivalents supplies to the average patients needs of each identified subpopulation. CPN of one hundred metabolically stables adults patients in treatment with TPN were evaluated consecutively. Caloric supplies were calculated with the Harris-Benedict equation, with the Long corrections and proteics supplies were evaluated according to stress level. The identification of patients subpopulation according to the CPN was made through the cluster analysis with partitioning around methods algorithm. We considered the formulation with equivalent supplies to the average needs of each subpopulation was adequate to the patients caloric-proteic requirements when their difference was lower than 20%. The percentage of patients who received adequate supplies were compared between the subpopulations identified. In case of two subpopulations, glucose, lipids and amino acid needs are: 275 (CI 95%: 265-285) g, 83 (CI 95%: 78-88) g and 89 (CI 95%: 86-92) g in subpopulation 1 (N = 35), and 195 (CI 95%: 187-203) g, 58 (CI 95%: 56-61) g and 74 (CI 95%: 72-77) g in subpopulation 2 (N = 65), respectively. In case of three subpopulations, in subpopulation 1 (N = 19), glucose, lipids and amino acid needs are: 295 (CI 95%: 283-306) g, 91 (CI 95%: 84-97) g and 91 (CI 95%: 86-95); 234 (CI 95%: 227-240) g, 67 (CI 95%: 64-70) g and 84 (CI 95%: 82-86) g to the subpopulation 2 (N = 45) and 172 (CI 95%: 165-179) g, 55 (CI 95%: 52-57) g, and 68 (CI 95%: 64-71) g to the subpopulation 3 (N = 36) respectively. In general, caloric and proteic supplies are equal to the patients needs, but there was a tendeny to overfeeding in patients with lower CPN. The utilization of one, two or three formulations with equivalent supplies to the average needs of each subpopulation was adequate to the patients in the 45% (CI 95%: 36%-55%), 75% (CI 95%: 65%-83%) and 82% (CI 95%: 74%-89%), respectively. Therefore, the development of three normalized formulations of total parenteral nutrition allows to satisfy the patients nutritional needs at least the 74% of the patients.