The goal of beginning a patient on parenteral nutrition (PN) is always to support optimal nutritional care. Additional considerations, such as ensuring the best possible quality of life, often come into play when home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is initiated. If a patient feels comfortable with the therapy regimen, they are likely to be more compliant and settle into the routine of incorporating this life saving therapy into their daily life.
Transitioning from acute care or a skilled nursing facility to the home can be difficult for a patient and their caregivers. For those individuals who previously relied on healthcare professionals for their medical care administration, learning to incorporate a medical device and life-sustaining therapy into their everyday life at home can be very overwhelming. The patient must absorb a large amount of information, including instructions on how to handle and troubleshoot the infusion pump, use of any supportive medical devices, storage of TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition), mixing additive medications into the TPN, scheduling of clinician home visits for labs, supply deliveries, and much more.
The daily stress of setting up therapy in the home can be fatiguing until there is confidence in technique and a routine established. Once the patient is metabolically tolerating the TPN (based on labs and physical response), the infusion time can be decreased to a night schedule of 8-12 hrs. Incorporating the infusion into a nighttime schedule reduces disruption to the patient’s day and adds a huge benefit to their overall quality of life. Infusing during the night, while asleep, encourages a transition away from the burden of managing a medical condition, allowing the patient and caregivers to return to work, school, or social gatherings without bringing medical equipment along with them. In short, it restores a feeling of normalcy.
However, getting to this point takes consistent training and a variety of educational tools and support resources; all of which should reinforce best practices that foster safe independence. Education materials should be clear and concise, and ideally should be available in a variety of languages to better reach all patient populations.
Moog has the privilege of working with many outstanding pharmacy, nursing and distributor providers who are truly committed to providing excellent patient care. Below are just a few resources that our Specialty Pharmacy partners provide to help aid patients and their caregivers with the transition to HPN.
- Nutrishare: Transitioning TPN from Hospital to Home TPN
- Coram: Your guide to home total parenteral nutrition therapy
- Option Care Health: Patient Guide to Parenteral Nutrition
For additional information on how CURLIN infusion pumps are able to provide reliable and accurate TPN delivery, visit our CURLIN TPN therapy overview page.
Kathy Iacuone, RN, BSN
Sr. Manager, Clinical Services
Kathy Iacuone joined the Moog team as Clinical Services Manager in March of 2016. Kathy leads the external clinical team for both IV and Enteral product lines. She oversees daily customer support and product training. She supports all departments clinically to include: Sales, Engineering, Marketing, Regulatory, and Quality, as well as participating in new product testing and development.
A registered nurse for 33 yrs. her focus has been infusion in the alternate care space. She began her career in Boston-New England Medical Center, enjoyed travel nursing, working in Intensive Care units across the country for several years. Prior to joining the team at Moog, she held the position of Nurse Manager for 8 yrs. at CVS/Coram Specialty Infusion in Tampa.
