Home parenteral nutrition
Parenteral nutrition (PN), is the medical term for infusing a specialised form of food through a vein (intravenously). The goal of the treatment is to correct or prevent malnutrition, for patients whose digestive systems either cannot absorb or cannot tolerate adequate food eaten by mouth. Intravenous feeding is called home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is when PN is administered outside of hospital. Using HPN may be necessary for weeks or months, or in some cases for life.
MNI has developped a number of projects on HPN, as a cost-effective means to treat patients, that allow them to be cared for in a more comfortable environment under medical supervision.
From hospital to home care: the importance of providing access.
Home Parenteral Nutrition and MNI recommendation to address inequalities.
People of all ages can be prescribed parenteral nutrition because of varying diseases. Patients with chronic conditions and who need nutritional support can receive parenteral nutrition at home without the need to travel to the hospital.
Good nutrition is an essential part of care. It includes ensuring that patients receive the right nutritional support at the right time whether in the hospital in a community or at home. Patients who cannot sufficiently manage a healthy energy balance through food may require temporary or lifelong nutritional support using the enteral or the parenteral route depending on their conditions.
Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is a life-sustaining therapy for adults and children recommended when other forms of nutrition are not tolerated and/or not sufficient to achieve the right nutritional intake. HPN may improve patients’ quality of daily life by enabling them to carry their daily activities and remain active. In this website, you can learn more about home parenteral nutrition: what it is who gets it and why how it works and what the benefits and risks of it are. Through an interactive map patients can also look for their local support organisation. Furthermore, you may listen from the direct experience of patients how home parenteral nutrition has helped them in their daily life.
Resources
Factors contributing to unequal access to home parenteral nutrition in Europe
Parenteral nutrition (PN) refers to the intravenous administration of nutrition for the prevention or treatment of malnutrition. It is used in patients who cannot eat by mouth or who do not absorb sufficient nourishment from formula administered via enteral tube.
Frequently Asked Question
ESPEN Guidelines on Home Parenteral Nutrition
The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guideline on Home Parenteral Nutrition.
The below questions and answers are intended to provide general information on home parenteral nutrition. However please refer to a healthcare professional to address any specific questions or concerns you may have.
