Efficacy and Safety of Introducing an Industrially Prepared Ready-to-use 3-Chamber Bag as Parenteral Nutrition Formulation for Premature Infants in Our NICU

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is mandatory in the nursing of very low birth weight ((V)LBW)) babies during the first weeks of life. Numerous discussions exist about the indication of individually tailored or standardized PN formula. (V)LBW babies are known as fragile unstable babies with special requirements. Many neonatal intensive care units (NICU) prefer a tailored prescription for that kind of patients. Making a daily individual tailored prescription is often complex for numerous reasons: it is time consuming, it may be source of faults and incompatibility, it needs a senior neonatologist to review the prescription and has to arrive during daytime hours at the pharmacy. Tailored PN is often administrated with a delay, as one can only prescribe having reviewed the results of blood sampling. This delay can range from 6 to 12 hours. Numeta G13°/0E is a standardized, industrial, ready to use PN specifically designed to meet the nutritional requirements of preterm newborn infants for whom enteral nutrition is not possible or insufficient. New Espghan guidelines were published in 2018 recommending nutritional intake targets of 2.5g-3.5 amino acids per kg/day and 90-120 kcal/kg/day. Our NICU wants to evaluate their compliance to these new guidelines. Before November 2016, it was common practice in CHU Tivoli to feed the preterm baby with a compounded binary TPN solution and lipids were administered separately in Y-line. In November 2016, we switched to an all-in-one TPN with standardized composition (Numeta G13%E, Baxter) Numeta G13°/0E is stored at room temperature and is ready to be infused in a few minutes. Numeta G13%E is presented in the form of a three-chamber bag (3CB) or a two chamber bag (2CB). The activation of the lipid bag is optional, resulting in a solution containing glucose, electrolytes, amino acids and (optionally) lipids. Additions of water, electrolytes in the bag or on the side help to customize the bag to the specific needs of newborns that need intensive care.