Pharmacy delivers C.W.'s first bag of TPN

Pharmacy delivers C.W.'s first bag of TPN. You have an order to stop the

maintenance IV

infusion after starting the TPN. What is the purpose of this order?"

The rationale for discontinuing he maintenance IV infusion after beginning TPN is to avoid overloading the patient with fluids and to guarantee that the patient receives the nutritional requirements without receiving too much fluid volume. Here’s how this works:

 Fluid Volume Control: TPN has what the patient needs in fluids, electrolytes, glucose, amino acids, lipids, and vitamins in order to have his feeding. When continued administration of the maintenance IV along with the TPN, the patient may receive too much fluid that will cause complications such as fluid overload or electrolyte imbalance.

 Preventing Dilution of Nutrients: TPN is nutrition that is especially for the particular patient and their condition. The supplementation from a maintenance IV could also contaminate TPN altering the level of nutrition intended.

 Monitoring and Balancing Electrolytes: The TPN bag has the detail of balanced electrolyte and fluid for a particular client. By stopping the maintenance IV, it makes it possible to avoid administering unrequired electrolytes and fluids to the patient hence attaining a measure of precision on the patient’s nutritional and metabolic status.

 As the maintenance IV is stopped, the care team is able to concentrate on the administration of the TPN as the only source of fluids and nutrients, so the patient received suitable and balanced therapy.