For Immediate Release
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A.S.P.E.N. Response to Patient Deaths in Alabama from Contaminated Parenteral Nutrition - IV Nutrition
Organization Develops Safe Practice Guidelines to Help Lower Risk of PN Contamination
March 30, 2011, Silver Spring, MD - In response to the deaths of nine patients in Alabama hospitals who were infected with contaminated Parenteral Nutrition (IV) Nutrition, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) today released the following statement with regard to the use of safe practices for the compounding of parenteral or IV nutrition. A.S.P.E.N. offers practice recommendations for safe compounding and administration of parenteral nutrition free under the Guidelines and Standards section of their website. These can be found on the A.S.P.E.N. website in Standards and Guidelines under Safe Practices for PN.
“The incidents in Alabama are very unfortunate and highlight our need to continue to prepare guidelines and best practice information,” said Jay Mirtallo, MS, RPh, FASHP, BCNSP, A.S.P.E.N. president-elect and Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Director, MS in Health-System Pharmacy The Ohio State University. “These outbreaks related to PN are rare but when they occur, can be deadly.”
Parenteral Nutrition (IV) plays a critical role in helping patients get well and is one of the ways people receive nutrition when they cannot eat or receive tube feeding. A special liquid mixture that contains all the protein, sugars, fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients the patient needs is put into their blood through an intravenous tube.
“PN by nature is one of the most complex sterile products to prepare, relying on a specific order of mixture as well as method of preparation to assure sterility, compatibility and stability,” he continued. “It must be formulated in a specialized pharmacy using strict sterile conditions. When safe practice guidelines and safe systems approaches are not adhered to, contamination can occur.”
A.S.P.E.N. continues to work with the Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), United States Pharmacopeia (USP) <797 standards> and American Society of Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP) in assuring compounding practices are the safest in the world. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) HCUP database, parenteral nutrition is given to more than 300,000 discharged hospitalized patients each year.
The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) is dedicated to improving patient care by advancing the science and practice of clinical nutrition and metabolism. Founded in 1976, A.S.P.E.N. is an interdisciplinary organization whose members are involved in the provision of clinical nutrition therapies, including parenteral and enteral nutrition. With more than 5,500 members from around the world, A.S.P.E.N. is a community of dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, scientists, students and other health professionals from every facet of nutrition support clinical practice, research and education.
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