Multiplication of nosocomial pathogens in intravenous feeding solutions.

A major problem in total parenteral nutrition is sepsis, particularly that caused by Candida. Studies of four solutions, a casein hydrolysate, a fibrin hydrolysate, and two crystalline amino acid solutions, show that the protein hydrolysate solutions appear to be highly selective for Candida over bacteria, whereas the crystalline amino acid solutions are not. These findings suggest that the crystalline amino acid preparations may offer a partial solution to the infection problem by minimizing the contribution of the solution as a reservoir for organism multiplication, because they retard the growth of both bacteria and Candida.