Appropriateness of peripheral parenteral nutrition use in adult patients at an academic medical center.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Current evidence and guidelines identify patient populations who may benefit from parenteral nutrition. Peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) may be indicated for a subset of patients; however, PPN therapy carries a risk of associated adverse effects. The purpose of this project was to assess appropriateness of current PPN prescribing practices at an academic medical center to determine whether additional guidance and oversight may be beneficial. METHODS: Adult patients admitted from August 1, 2015 to November 30, 2015 with at least one order of PPN administered were included. PPN use was evaluated for appropriateness using definitions derived from clinical practice guidelines and standard of practice. Adverse events, including phlebitis and bacteremia, were also examined. RESULTS: Of the 159 patients included, 51 (32.1%) received appropriate PPN therapy, in which all four criteria for appropriateness were met. In regards to the criteria for appropriateness, 128 (80.5%) had an appropriate indication, 85 (53.5%) had appropriate time to PPN initiation, 157 (98.7%) had an appropriate duration of therapy, and 112 (70.4%) achieved an appropriate percentage of goal daily calories. In terms of complications associated with PPN therapy, 69 (43.4%) patients had documented phlebitis and bacteremia occurred in 5 (3.1%) of the patients. CONCLUSION: During the study period, PPN was appropriately utilized in only one-third of patients and phlebitis occurred in almost half of all patients. Restrictions on PPN prescribing may allow nutrition support clinicians to prospectively evaluate patients to optimize nutrition therapy and minimize the incidence of inappropriate PPN use.

A Novel Risk Score to Predict the Need for Nutrition Support After Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: In specific patients, early postoperative nutrition mitigates malnutrition-related morbidity and mortality. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a prediction score designed to stratify patients immediately after cardiac surgery according to risk for nutrition support (NS). METHODS: We identified adult cardiac surgery patients at our institution in 2012 requiring postoperative NS, enteral or parenteral. Using multivariable logistic regression modeling, we developed a Johns Hopkins Hospital Nutrition Support (JHH NS) score from relative odds ratios generated by variables that independently predicted the need for NS. The JHH NS score was then prospectively validated using all patients undergoing cardiac surgery in 2015. RESULTS: Among 1,056 patients in the derivation cohort, 87 (8%) required postoperative NS. Seven variables were identified on multivariable analysis as independent predictors of NS need and were used to create the JHH NS score. Scores ranged from 0 to 36. Each 1-point increase in the JHH NS score was associated with a 20% increase in the risk of requiring NS (odds ratio 1.20, p < 0.001). The c-statistic of the regression model for NS was 0.85. In all, 115 of 1,336 patients (8.6%) in the validation cohort required NS. Observed rates of NS in the validation group correlated positively with predicted rates (r = 0.89). CONCLUSIONS: The JHH NS score reliably stratified patients at risk for the need for postoperative NS. This easily calculable and highly predictive screening tool may expedite timing of initiation of NS in patients at high risk for not being able to physically take in adequate nutrition.