The patient has been receiving PN but has not had any lipid emulsion therapy.The nurse notices that the patient is developing dry,scaly skin,and his wound is healing more slowly than expected.The patient is also anemic.What does the nurse suspect the patient is experiencing?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A nutritional regimen without adequate fatty acids leads to essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD),characterized by dry,scaly skin,sparse hair growth,impaired wound healing,decreased resistance to stress,increased susceptibility to respiratory tract infection,anemia,thrombocytopenia,and liver function abnormalities.
The essential fatty acid present in lipid emulsion is linoleic acid.This acid cannot be made from other fats in human metabolism and therefore must be supplied.Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid.A patient with linoleic acid deficiency is immunosuppressed and thus at risk for infection.A nutritional regimen without adequate fatty acids leads to EFAD.The addition of lipid emulsion to the PN solution is called a 3:1 or total nutrition admixture (TNA).Although 3:1 admixtures are common,many institutions use 2:1 admixtures without lipids.

The Patient Has Been Receiving PN but Has Not Had