Care of the critically ill child: intravenous alimentation

In the past, starvation has been the mode of death for many seriously ill children. Utilizing this new method of intravenous alimentation, these fatalities may often be prevented. In our series, two infants were unable to tolerate the infusate, and 40 of the 53 children are alive. Only one infant died because of a complication of the method. Other causes of death included extreme prematurity, pulmonary complications of cystic fibrosis, acute surgical complications, extensive burns, and immune deficiency disease. Despite its effectiveness, this life-saving method of feeding should be reserved for those patients in whom satisfactory nutrition is not otherwise possible.