5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Parenteral Nutrition

Parenteral nutrition is essentially administration of food or drugs using injections. There are two methods widely used to provide essential nutrients meant for survival and prescribed medicines. One is enteral which is through the mouth or taken orally and the other is parenteral which is an intravenous procedure.

List of Pros of Parenteral Nutrition

1. Fast and Effective Direct Administration
Intravenous injection is deemed the best way to administer medicines as the drug and its constituents are directly injected into the blood. The drug doesn’t have to be ingested, then digested and then absorbed by the blood. The effect of the drug kicks in almost immediately. There is no dependence on the digestive ability of a person. The medicine gets into the bloodstream and has its intended effects without any ambiguity or room for error. The same method is used to provide essential nutrients, which is also effective but there are issues that we shall discuss in the cons.

2. Less Medicine Needed
Since a drug or medicine is injected as a solution using a syringe and the components get delivered directly into the blood stream, very little actual medicine is used in the process. With ingested medicines one has to account for the loss of its components during the digestive process. The need for less medicine doesn’t always reflect in the cost because there is the price of syringes and fees for the nurse or doctor administering the injections.

3. The Only Remedy
In some cases, especially when someone is suffering from serious eating disorders, parenteral nutrition remains the only effective way to provide essential nutrients. The method is also the only remedy when someone is incapable of eating, ingesting or digesting properly.

List of Cons of Parenteral Nutrition

1. Tiresome and Expensive
There is the ongoing cost of syringes, liquid solutions that the drug or essential nutrients must be blended in, the need to have a nurse, doctor or someone who can administer the injection and the overall task of actually injecting the nutrients or medicines make for a tedious repetitive task. Most people don’t like the process after a while. The costs can easily pile up when one has to see a medical or healthcare professional time and again.

2. Safety and Side Effects
There is always a risk of causing injury to the skin, veins or damaging some tissues. There are physical side effects after plenty of injections have been administered. There can be bruises and concealed or unseen wounds.

Author Bio
Natalie Regoli is a child of God, devoted wife, and mother of two boys. She has a Master's Degree in Law from The University of Texas. Natalie has been published in several national journals and has been practicing law for 18 years.