# Total Parental Feeding
---
**Total parental feeding** or **TPN** is an IV solution given via a central venous access device (CVAD)-PICCI tunneled
catheters, other [[central line]].
This is given when patients are unable to take any food by mouth or by [[nutrition|NG tube]], i.e. enterally. The goal of TPN is to provide nutrition to promote maintenance of muscle mass, weight stabilization, and healing of wounds. This is most often used for patient's with [[burns]], fever, major surgery, trauma or hypermetabolic states.
TPN is typically 1 to 3 liters given over 24 hours.
## Nursing Considerations
Monitor:
- I/Os
- weight
- blood glucose
- It's very sugary by design, patient probably on Q8 checks
- monitor for hypoglycemia when discontinuing TPN
- serum electrolytes
- they try to balance the formulas, but it's not always perfect.
- [[body fluids|fluid imbalances]]
___