FW: A.S.P.E.N. Response to PN Contamination in Alabama

[Guest guest]

Merav Levi, RD, MS, CDN

A dietitian, not the food police.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/meravlevi

" Life is not measured by the number of breath you take, but by the moments that

take your breath away. " - Carlin

" People don't forget the truth, they just become better in lying " (Revolutionary

Road)

Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:44:20 -0400

From: info@...

To: meravls@...

Subject: A.S.P.E.N. Response to PN Contamination in Alabama

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

A.S.P.E.N. Statement

March 30, 2011

In response to the recent deaths in Alabama due to contaminated PN, A.S.P.E.N.

sent out the following press release this morning.

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.

Media Contact: Gavilan

denise@...

Forward email

This email was sent to meravls@... by info@... |

Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy

Policy.

A.S.P.E.N. | 8630 Fenton Street | Suite 412 | Silver Spring | MD | 20910