[Fluorine in parenteral nutrition solutions]

The daily contribution of F in patients subjected to TPN has been determined, based on the F content of 61 commercial solutions used to prepare the different TPN. The determinations have been done by means of a potentiometric method with and F selective electrode and a double union reference electrode. Only those commercial solutions contained in glass ampules showed traces of F, while none was detected in samples contained in plastic or other type of glass containers. In the glass ampules, the F content oscillated between 115 micrograms/l in those of 10% calcium chloride, to 931 micrograms/l in those of potassium chloride. The total contribution of F based on these preparations in TPN, does not reach 100 micrograms/day, which is much below the recommended daily dose for safety and adequacy.