Experience with TPN?

[kimmidwife]

Wondering if anyone else has experience with TPN. I am wondering how long it takes to get set up with a home health nurse and get the TPN set up at home?

 

[Farmwife]

Grace didn't have TPN set up but she had n-g tube set up and that took 3 days.
We had to correlate between the DME company and the home healthcare nurse.
Of course your dealing with more issues.

HUGS

 

[Octobergirl]

Hi Kimmidwife,

I don't have a child with Crohn's but I have it myself and saw the post about your daughter in the entyvio thread. I'm sorry she has to go through all that.

I was on TPN last summer. Because my discharge was happening over the weekend, it took a couple days, but from my understanding, it really shouldn't take more than a day as long as your insurance doesn't hold you up. However I was already on TPN in the hospital, so I'm not sure how long it would take if your daughter is currently at home. Does she already have a PICC line installed?

 

[xmdmom]

I know you didn't ask this, but I thought you might be interested in this as it lists the indication for TPN with IBD here on the first two pages. http://espen.info/documents/0909/gastroenterology.pdf

I don't want to sidetrack your thread but if you don't mind my asking -->[What did they doctor say was the indication for TPN and how long do they want her to be on it? Would it be total and NPO or partial? Is she unable to get nutrients enterally? ]

Back in the day, they checked labs daily to adjust the TPN. Not sure how often they do blood tests to check it.

 

[kimmidwife]

Hi Xmdmom,Thanks for the info. The doctor doesn't want her on it for very long. It will be partial. They are encouraging her to eat light foods.
Octobergirl, she has the PICC line already and is already on the TPN inpatient. We are. Ot sure how long she will be here.

 

[pdx]

Hi Kim,

No experience with TPN, but E was inpatient when she had her NG-tube inserted, and the home health rep came to see us in the hospital on her last day, and then had supplies delivered to us in the hospital before we left. She said they couldn't always do it that way (I don't think they were allowed to deliver supplies until discharge orders were in), but it sure was nice to have everything we needed before going home. Another rep came to see us the day after discharge just to check on us, and answer any questions we had.

Our insurance provider contracts with Walgreens here in Portland for home health, and they have been fantastic to work with. Their dieticians worked with me several times (including over the weekend) to help find the right formula and feed rate for my daughter when she was have problems with nausea.