Home Parenteral Nutrition in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Between January, 1977, and March, 1986, 200 patients were registered as receiving home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Although 28 centres contributed case-reports, 75% of the cases were registered by 7 centres. Most patients started treatment between the ages of 10 and 40 years, a reflection of the high incidence of Crohn's disease during these decades. The three main indications for HPN were Crohn's disease (90 patients), mesenteric vascular disease (27), and extensive small-bowel resection for volvulus or other benign enteric disease (14). 85 patients required treatment for less than 1 year and 17 have been on treatment for more than 2 years. Patients whose indication for HPN was a primary intestinal disease had a better quality of life than did those in whom the intestinal failure was secondary to a systemic disorder. Of the 108 patients who have completed treatment 56 have been able to resume enteral nutrition through adaptation of the remaining bowel, or closure of a fistula. 34 have died, 19 as a consequence of the underlying disease and 10 of complications of treatment. The incidence of catheter-related sepsis varied between 0.2 and 0.9 episodes per year of treatment (overall 0.35) depending on the length of experience of the supervising centre.