New Nutritional Solution for Malnourished Dialysis Patients

A new line of intradialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN) solutions has been formulated to address the specific nutritional needs of protein malnourished dialysis patients.

The Proplete IDPN is an intravenous (IV) nutrition administered through the dialysis machine directly into the bloodstream while patients are receiving dialysis. The solution is comprised of amino acids, dextrose, and if needed, lipids. The therapy provides 100% of the patient's weekly protein needs and additional calories. Each formula is tailored to the patient's specific needs, designed to maintain a sustained albumin level above 3.5 g/dl, since clinical studies have shown that patients with albumin levels below this threshold are at greater risk for mortality and morbidity than those with consistently higher levels.

IDPN is only recommended in those cases where malnutrition is demonstrated by the patient's medical records, and after dietary counseling, oral supplements, and other measures prove unsuccessful in improving the patient's nutrition levels. The Proplete IDPN solution is a product of Pentec Health (Boothwyn, PA, USA).

"Traditional formulations for IDPN have been particularly troublesome for malnourished patients with diabetes,” said Eileen Moore, CNSD, R.D, L.D., an expert on IDPN. "They often require close supervision of blood glucose and may require insulin administration. The unique formulation of Proplete provides an option for these patients and may make managing their glucose and fluids easier.”

"The introduction of Proplete reaffirms our commitment to patients, innovation, and the renal nutrition market,” said Joe Cosgrove, president and CEO of Pentec Health. "Given the current magnitude of diabetes, we are confident that Proplete will play a significant role in addressing unmet renal nutritional needs.”

The number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients requiring hemodialysis--considered stage 5 CKD-- is growing every year, despite medical advances. There were nearly 100,000 new cases of stage 5 CKD in the United States in 2005 alone, according to the United States Renal Data System, and approximately 600,000 in total as of 2008. That number is expected to climb by 76% by the year 2020. It is estimated that up to 70% of dialysis patients suffer from varying degrees of malnutrition that can result in unwanted weight loss and low blood protein levels, specifically albumin. Low body mass index (BMI) coupled with low serum albumin have been strongly linked to mortality and close to 60% of new dialysis patients begin therapy with albumin levels below lower normal limits.

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