[In hospital and at home parenteral nutrition with a single unit (author's transl)]

Parenteral administration of a nutritive mixture in a disposable bag prepared in a specialized center reduces the incidence of complications and allows for ambulatory treatment at home. The authors use a nutritive mixture of glucose solutions, amino-acids and lipids in a single bag. Turbidity studies, morphometric evaluation, the macroscopic aspect of the emulsions as well as bacteriological studies have demonstrated the stability of the solution for 5 days when kept at 4 degrees C. Forty-nine cancer patients benefited by this therapeutic modality. Four patients developed an infection in conjunction with the advent of temporary personnel in specialized unit. One patient developed cholestatic jaundice. All 5 recovered. No other patient suffered from a complication due to this technic of parenteral nutrition. One patient has been treated for 3 months of which 1 month at home. Another one is still on total parenteral nutrition 9 months later with 8 months at home without any complication.