Total parenteral nutrition in the newborn using peripheral veins: role of I.V. nursing team

During a six-year period, 109 consecutive neonates were fed intravenously via peripheral veins. This report compares two groups of neonates, group A when conventional approach of I.V. therapy was utilised, i.e. when junior medical staff erected all infusions, and group B when I.V. team nurses were responsible for erecting over 90% of infusions. Neonates in group A lost 1528 hours (63.7 days) or 8.8% of total infusion time. In contrast, patients in group B lost 1303 hours (54.3 days) or 3.8% of total infusion time (x2 = 23.31; p less than 0.001). On completion of course of total parenteral nutrition, 71% of the infants in group A maintained or gained weight and 29% lost weight, while in group B 88.2% of patients maintained or gained weight and 11.8% lost weight.