ABSTRACT
In the 1960s, the ability to feed patients intravenously instead of via the gastrointestinal tract was developed. Dudrick and colleagues (see Further reading) reported growth and development with total parenteral nutrition (TPN), initially with beagle puppies and then later in infants. At that time TPN referred only to intravenous dextrose and amino acids. Today’s TPN includes the ability to provide all nutrients that patients require, and represents an alternative method of feeding patients when the gastrointestinal tract is not accessible or functional.
