Question

Difficulty: MediumPharmacological and Parenteral Therapies

A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving continuous total parenteral nutrition (TPN) via a central venous catheter. Which of the following nursing interventions are essential for the safe administration and monitoring of this therapy? Select all that apply.

  1. Change the intravenous tubing and filter every 24 hours.Answer
  2. B
    Administer scheduled intravenous push medications through the TPN lumen.
  3. Assess the client's capillary blood glucose levels every 4 to 6 hours.Answer
  4. D
    Increase the continuous infusion rate to catch up if the TPN falls behind schedule.
  5. Maintain a bag of 10% dextrose in water (D10W) readily available at the bedside.Answer

Answer

The essential interventions for safe TPN administration include changing the IV tubing and filter every 24 hours, assessing blood glucose every 4 to 6 hours, and keeping a bag of 10% dextrose in water (D10W) available at the bedside.
Safe administration of total parenteral nutrition requires meticulous infection control (changing administration sets every 24 hours), vigilant metabolic monitoring (checking blood glucose every 4 to 6 hours due to high dextrose content), and preparation for sudden interruptions (having D10W available to prevent rebound hypoglycemia).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the infection control requirements for high-glucose parenteral solutions.
Determine that tubing and filters must be changed every 24 hours, and the line must remain dedicated to prevent contamination.
TPN is an excellent medium for bacterial growth and central line infections.
2
Analyze the metabolic complications associated with TPN.
Identify that the high dextrose content necessitates frequent capillary blood glucose checks (every 4-6 hours).
Clients can develop severe hyperglycemia during infusion or rebound hypoglycemia if the infusion is suddenly interrupted.
3
Assess the safety of altering TPN infusion rates.
Determine that manually increasing the rate to 'catch up' is contraindicated.
Rapid infusion of hyperosmolar solutions causes fluid volume overload and osmotic diuresis.

Key Concept

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) Safety and Monitoring Protocols
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