[Somatostatin stability in parenteral nutrition units]

The incorporation of somatostatin into parenteral nutritional units has considerable advantages in the treatment of patients subjected to this combined therapy with respect to a reduction in the cost of the therapy and an increase in its effectiveness. This study evaluates the stability of somatostatin in "all-in-one" parenteral nutritional units formulated with or without lipids and preserved at 5 or 25 degrees C for a study period of 7 days. The concentration of somatostatin was determined by high resolution liquid chromatography. All the parenteral nutritional units tested remained stable with regard to content in somatostatin for at least 7 days. The t90 values were around 13.3 days for nutritional mixtures without lipids preserved at 5 degrees C, manifesting the positive influence of refrigeration and lipid emulsion on the stability of somatostatin. None of the PNV showed modifications in pH, colour, precipitation or breakage of lipid emulsion during the study period. The above means that somatostatin can be prepared and administered together with Total Parenteral Nutrition in parenteral nutritional units formulated in the same container.