Complications of parenteral nutrition

Abstract

While accepting that parenteral nutrition is of enormous benefit in many potentially lethal situations, it is important to be aware of the complications that may be associated with the procedure. The list is long but it is worth emphasizing that they are rare and for the most part reversible. They can be categorized into two groups: vascular and metabolic. The vascular complications have been dealt with in an earlier chapter. This discussion will therefore concentrate on the metabolic and haemodynamic complications of TPN.