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Patients often don't get correct home nutrition, Option Care finds

Patients often don't get correct home nutrition, Option Care finds

ORLANDO, Fla. - Orders upon discharge from the hospital for home parenteral (intravenous) nutrition (HPN) did not meet the needs of patients nearly one-quarter of the time, according to research from Option Care. If orders are not corrected, patients may be overfed or underfed, both of which put them at health risk, and in the case of overfeeding, adds unnecessary costs, the provider says. For 187 HPN patients, Option Care registered dieticians reviewed all orders; performed nutritional assessments when the patients were discharged to home care; and made recommended changes to the nutrition order if warranted, based on the patient's lab values, activity level and overall medical condition. They determined the original orders did not meet the patient's needs 23% of the time on average. They found 22% did not meet fluid needs; 26% did not meet amino acid needs; 21% did not meet dextrose needs; 18% did not meet lipid needs; and 27% did not meet total caloric needs. Option Care will present its data at the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week conference Feb. 18-21.

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