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Parenteral nutrition has been a lifesaving procedure for patients with short gut syndrome, very low birthweight infants, and certain other patients with gut failure. The modern era of parenteral nutrition began in the 1960s, with the development of a technique to catheterize the central venous circulation and the demonstration that normal growth and development could be achieved in immature dogs fed exclusively with parenteral nutrition (1,2). The placement of a central venous catheter allowed the provision of hypertonic parenteral nutrition formulas that were rapidly diluted in the high-flow central vein. Prior to this time, the provision of parenteral nutrition was limited to isotonic formulas that could be infused through a peripheral vein. The principal limitations were the large fluid volumes necessary to meet the nutritional needs of the patients, leading to fluid overload and the loss of peripheral venous access in patients who required prolonged support with parenteral nutrition.