[Catheter management in parenteral nutrition]. / Estudio sobre manejo de catéteres en nutrición parenteral.

Following the appearance of Staphylococcus epidermidis positive hemocultures in four patients undergoing parenteral nutrition in different services, and after microbiological controls of the mixtures prepared by the Pharmacy Service in order to discard contamination during preparation, it was decided to assess the handling o catheters and central pathways by the Hospital Nursing Staff. A survey was carried out of 34 nurses, 17 each from the morning and evening shifts, from the floors with patients undergoing parenteral nutrition, representing 13.3% of all the nurses of those floors. There were five sections in the survey, with fifty-two questions referring to the introduction of catheters, change of dressing, care of the point of insertion, uses of the administrative pathway, change and handling of the parenteral nutrition bag, intravenous administration of medicines and parenteral nutrition, and withdrawal of the catheter. According to the results, 76% of central catheters are introduced in the operating theatre: once in place, the catheter is checked by X-ray to ensure that it is in the correct position, in all cases. There were major differences in the changing of dressings. The pathway for administration of the parenteral nutrition is used for a variety of functions. Medicines are administered in "Y" with the nutrient mixture, although their stability is not known. In changing the parenteral nutrition bag and the handling of the catheter, adequate sterilization measures were not taken.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Stability of folic acid and vitamin B12 in TPN]. / Estabilidad del ácido fólico y vitamina B12 en NPT.

The stability of folic acid (FA) in mixtures of Total Parenteral Nutrition has been and is a controversial subject, with discussion concerning the influence of factors such as temperature, light and storage time. As regards the stability of the vitamin B12, there are few studies in scientific literature. For all those reasons, we consider it necessary to make a proper study to evaluate the influence of different factors in the stability of both vitamins. The study was made on 3 liter TPN bags of the EVA type, the composition of which was as follows: AA (85g), glucosa (225g), fat (50g), Na (86mEq), K (60 mEq), Ca (15 mEq), Cl (90 mEq), P (17 mmol) acetate (149 mEq) and 10 ml of MVI-12 which contain 400 micrograms of PA and 5 micrograms of Vitamin B 12. Consideration was also given to the stability of these two vitamins in the same diet, to which were added 10 ml of a commercial preparation of oligo-elements. Six TPN bags were prepared (without oligo-elements); two of them were kept in a fridge and protected from the light, two were kept at room temperature and protected from the light and the other two at room temperature without protection from the light. Samples were taken from all the bags immediately after their preparation and after 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. The same process was carried with other TPN bags which did contain oligo-elements. The method for determining FA and Vitamin B12 was by radioassay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)