Parenteral nutrition complications in a voluntary hospital.

A prospective study analyzing the complications in 307 patients who had specialized nutrition support administered by their private practitioners was performed and compared to other series in which a nutrition support service exclusively provided such care of patients. The mechanical complication rate of 4.6%, septic complication rate of 2.9%, and metabolic complication rate of 4.2% compared favorably with the reported literature. A new category of complications, the judgmental complication, is described and was 12.7% in the reported series. The Saint Barnabas Medical Center experience suggests that individual practitioners can satisfactorily administer intravenous specialized nutrition support if in fact an involved nutrition support service functions administratively and supportively in the background.