Complications of Parenteral Nutrition

Bacteraemia in a paediatric oncology unit in South Africa

“…These are post-surgical patients, critically ill patients with bowel pathology, patients with a poor nutritional status and patients who receive intensive chemotherapy. In 1985 Wolffe [8] examined infectious complications of the use of parenteral nutrition. Organisms isolated were Staphylococci, fungi and Gramnegative bacilli.…”

Staphylococcus aureus septicemia presenting as disseminated intravascular coagulation - thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura overlap and thrombus in inferior vena cava, right atrium and right ventricle: a case report

“…They may be suspected because of difficulty with infusion or withdrawal of blood from a central venous catheter, or because of superior vena cava syndrome, a pulmonary embolism, tricuspid insufficiency, right-sided heart failure, sudden onset of a cardiac murmur, or syncopal episodes. [11][12][13][14] The only clinical sign of a thrombotic infection is often fever or sepsis of unknown origin. 15 As in right-sided endocarditis related to the presence of a central venous catheter, the most frequently encountered pathogens in central venous or right atrial septic thrombosis are Staphylococcus and Candida species.…”

Untoward incident with PCA extension set

“…Indeed, if we consider an earlier paper from the same centre [I], with a successful block rate of approximately 66% in the control group and we expect a 20% improvement on this within the study group (unlikely), the appropriate sample size required to show this difference can be calculated by estimating the standardised difference, which is then plotted on a nomogram against the required power of the study [2]. Using a minimal power of 80% and a 20% difference between the control and study groups gives a total study size of 200 patients.…”