Frequently Asked Questions

Once a start date has been agreed with your hospital team, we will contact you to confirm the date of your first delivery. Please note: the first delivery is generally large, later deliveries will be smaller! The first delivery will include everything you need, and if you are being supplied with a fridge for your HPN supplies, the driver will install it.

Our customer service team will contact you when it is time to order new supplies; this is generally every month. It is important that you have a two-week safety supply of all non-prescribed items. If you think you are going to run out of anything, please contact the customer service team.

Many people who have HPN can travel. If you are planning a trip away from home, please start by discussing this with your hospital team. If they are happy for you to go, then contact us at Baxter to discuss the arrangements. We generally need 6 weeks’ notice to make the necessary arrangements.

While HPN carries some risk of infection, this can be minimised with good hygiene. For example, by following the good handwashing rules and aseptic technique. All parenteral nutrition solutions are either sterile solutions or have been made from sterile solutions, which means they will not cause infection themselves. However, an infection can occur when bacteria, which are everywhere in our environment, get into the bloodstream or the ‘line’ (for example, during connection or disconnection). This is why clean hands and use of the aseptic technique are so important.

Sometimes, if a person has an infection elsewhere in the body, bacteria from this circulate in the bloodstream and may attach to the feeding line. When this happens, parenteral nutrition processes can flush them back into the blood and cause symptoms.

No. Fluid needs in HPN vary widely, not only by person but sometimes for the same person according to conditions. For example, some people will have to top up their fluids, or fluids plus electrolytes, with extra bags during periods of hot weather.

No. Your Home Care team will tell you which, if any, of your supplies need to be refrigerated. Some bags, for example multi-chamber bags and bags of fluid that have been sterilised by the manufacturer, do not have to go in the fridge. However, bags of compounded parenteral nutrition that have been prepared in a pharmacy clean room should always be stored in a fridge. If in doubt, please get in touch with us.

Some people using HPN can still eat and drink, some cannot have any food or drink and some will be able to eat and drink some of the time. This is because food and drink in addition to HPN can cause pain or mobility problems in some patients or can make fluid loss worse. Always discuss your diet, and in particular any changes you are thinking of making to your diet, with your medical team.