Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the study reported here was to assess the use of parenteral nutrition (PN) and enteral nutrition (EN), and the prevalence of PN and EN formulas, in the People’s Republic of China.
Methods
Fifty-nine hospitals in the People’s Republic of China participated in a nutrition survey. The resulting information on nutritional support was analyzed.
Results
We received 379,584 nutritional-support prescriptions over 40 days in 2013. PN provided approximately 63.2% and EN provided approximately 36.8% of nitrogen intake. PN provided 63.5% and EN provided 36.5% of lipid intake. There were obvious differences in nitrogen and lipid intake between PN and EN in different regions, departments, and diseases. The percentage of nourishment provided by PN in different regions was highest in Chengdu, followed by the Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou areas. The percentage of nourishment provided by PN in different departments was highest in general surgery, followed by gastroenterology and the intensive care unit. The percentage of nourishment provided by PN in different diseases/conditions was highest in acute pancreatitis, followed by cancer, and burns. The main source of nitrogen in PN was balanced amino-acid preparations, and in EN, it was protein. The main source of lipids in PN was long- and medium-chain triglyceride lipid emulsion injection.
Conclusion
Despite recent improvements in the application of nutritional support in the People’s Republic of China, a much higher percentage of nitrogen and lipids is delivered through PN than through EN. Furthermore, there are marked regional, departmental, and disease-based differences in the selection of PN versus EN. The rationale for use of nutritional support needs to be improved.
Supplementary materials
Participating hospitals
The following hospitals participated in the study:
The 22 hospitals in the Beijing area were:
Beijing University People’s Hospital
Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital
Beijing Luhe Hospital
Beijing Hospital
Beijing University First Hospital
Beijing Sixth Hospital
Beijing Fengtai Hospital
Beijing Hepingli Hospital
Beijing Jishuitan Hospital
Beijing Huaxin Hospital
Beijing Longfu Hospital
Beijing Anzhen Hospital
Beijing Tiantan Hospital
Beijing Tongren Hospital
Beijing Xuanwu Hospital
Beijing Friendship Hospital
Beijing Zhongguancun Hospital
China-Japan Friendship Hospital
Beijing Fangzhuang Hospital
Beijing Dewai Hospital
Chinese academy of Medical Sciences Cancer Hospital
Beijing University Shougang Hospital.
The twelve hospitals in the Chengdu area were:
West China Hospital of Sichuan University
Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital
The First People’s Hospital of Chengdu
Affiliated Hospital of North Medical College
Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional
Chinese Medicine
Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital
People’s Hospital of Deyang City
Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University
The Second People’s Hospital of Yibin
The Tenth People’s Hospital of Chengdu
Building Hospitals of Sichuan Province
Chengdu Shuangliu People’s Hospital.
The 13 hospitals in the Guangzhou area were:
The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University
The Third Hospital Affiliated to Sun Yat-Sen University
Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center
The First Affiliated Hospital of Guanzhou Medical University
The Henan Hospital of Guanzhou Medical University
Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital
The First People’s Hospital of Guangzhou
Guangzhou Medical School Third Affiliated Hospital
Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Hospital
Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital
The Second Hospital Affiliated to Sun Yat-Sen University
Guangzhou Dongshan People’s Hospital
The Eastern Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital
Sun Yat-Sen University.
The twelve hospitals in the Hangzhou area were:
The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University
Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital
Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital
Zhejiang Cancer Hospital
Hangzhou Linan People’s Hospital
Hangzhou Yuhang People’s Hospital
Hangzhou Jiande People’s Hospital
Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University
Zhejiang Hospital
Hangzhou Xiaoshan People’s Hospital
Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Participating hospitals
The following days were the sampling days in 2013:
January 1, 14, 22, 28
February 5, 20, 28
March 6, 15, 21
April 8, 17, 23
May 8, 13, 23, 30
June 4, 7, 26
July 2, 10, 26
August 5, 15, 20, 23
September 2, 5, 18
October 10, 21, 25
November 5, 13, 19, 27
December 2, 13, 19.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Professor Li Dakui and his research team on prescription analysis for collecting nutritional-support prescriptions.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.