Intestinal Failure
Optimizing parenteral nutrition (PN) therapy and limiting risk of hepatic complications in patients with acute intestinal failure (IF) on short-term supplemental PN and in chronic IF patients on long-term PN.
In acute or chronic intestinal failure (IF), gut function is reduced below the minimum level necessary for absorption of macronutrients, micronutrients, electrolytes, and water.1,2 The causes of acute and chronic IF are diverse, with PN frequently required to maintain growth and health.1,2
Long-term PN may increase the risk of liver complications
While patients with chronic IF require PN to meet their nutritional needs,2 PN treatment may disturb hepatic function and lead to intestinal failure associated liver disease (IFALD).3 IFALD can present as cholestasis, cholelithiasis, hepatic steatosis, and hepatic fibrosis, and in rare cases progress to liver cirrhosis and liver failure.4 To avoid liver complications associated with long-term PN, ESPEN guidelines recommend that the use of soybean-based lipid emulsions is kept below 1 g/kg/day, that overfeeding is avoided, and that PN therapy is provided as cyclic infusions.2
Meet the unique nutritional needs of your IF patients
Patients with chronic IF require long-term home PN,5 whereas those with acute IF are often in need of short-term PN or supplemental PN.1 Baxter provides a range of formulations and solutions to meet the unique nutritional needs of patients with chronic or acute IF. This includes solutions that can be administered peripherally for short-term nutrition and ready-to-use three-chamber bags (3CBs) should long-term home PN be required.
PN solutions containing olive oil-based lipids may improve safety and are well tolerated
Baxter’s portfolio of PN solutions is rich in olive oil, and results from a randomized clinical trial suggest that olive oil may improve liver function as compared to soybean oil in IF patients on long-term PN.6 Likewise, a study suggested that olive oil-based solutions may reduce inflammatory responses in patients with IF receiving long-term home PN.7
Learn more about nutrition in intestinal failure
To learn more from the experts, read ESPEN guidelines on chronic intestinal failure in adults
Read the publication Management of Acute Intestinal Failure: A Position Paper from the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) Special Interest Group