Surgical nutritional team and its impact on total parenteral nutrition in the National University Hospital, Singapore

Abstract

The Surgical Nutrition Advisory Team (SNAT) of our hospital, formed in October 1992, decided to study the impact of such a team on the six months before and after its formation on catheter care and nutritional support in total parenteral nutrition. Our study showed that with a dedicated nutritional team, catheter sepsis was reduced from 35.1% to 15.4%. The median lifespan of central catheters was increased from 7 to 11 days. Mechanical complications were reduced from 11% to zero. Better patient selection resulted in more severely malnourished patients receiving preoperative nutrition and fewer postoperative patients being started on total parenteral nutrition. Better monitoring of nutritional requirements, electrolyte and metabolite levels and consequently faster correction of abnormal blood levels, were also obtained.