Fluid and sodium problems in perioperative feeding: what further studies need to be done?

Total parenteral nutrition may induce harmful water and sodium retention. Few efforts have been made to elucidate the mechanisms of this deleterious response to total parenteral nutrition. In this review we discuss the different factors involved in its pathophysiology and possible changes in total parenteral nutrition regimes in order to modulate such a response: reduction of the proportion of non-protein calories given as glucose, restriction of water and sodium, and the possible benefits of pharmaceutical nutritional therapy with glutamine and growth hormone.