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[Hyperthermia during parenteral nutrition]
Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983)
|April 30, 1983
Summary
High-calorie, high-nitrogen total parenteral nutrition (TPN) may cause fever in patients. Discontinuing TPN resolved the fever, which returned upon resumption, suggesting a link between nutrition and hyperthermia.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Medicine
- Nutritional Science
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Caustic esophageal burns necessitate nutritional support.
- Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is a method of feeding that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract.
- Maintaining adequate nutrition is crucial for patient recovery.
Observation:
- A patient with a caustic esophageal burn developed a fever (37°C to 39°C) during TPN.
- The fever subsided when TPN was stopped and reappeared when it was restarted.
- No infectious or other identifiable cause for the fever was found.
Findings:
- High-calorie (3000 kcal/day) and high-nitrogen (16 g/day) TPN administration was associated with unexplained hyperthermia.
- The patient's body temperature normalized upon cessation of TPN.
- The cyclical pattern of fever linked to TPN initiation and discontinuation was observed.
Implications:
- High-dose parenteral nutrition may be an underrecognized cause of fever (iatrogenic hyperthermia).
- Further investigation into the mechanisms linking TPN to hyperthermia is warranted.
- Clinicians should consider TPN as a potential factor in patients with unexplained fever during nutritional support.