Which precaution should you implement if a patient is receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) via a subclavian line?

When a person is in a coma or incapacitated usually due to injury, the person will be taken to the hospital. However, the patient still needs to eat and get the nutrients to survive. In this case, the nurse may set up total parenteral nutrition which is getting the food into a person usually intravenously. The patient would not be eating and digesting their food in the regular normal way.

Instead, a pack of liquids which would include glucose, salts, vitamins and other elements will be dripped into the IV which is attached to the patient’s vein. You do not want the liquid food to be ingested all at once. That might cause more problems. Instead the IV solution should be pumped into the system at a rate that was determined by the doctor or nurse.