Effective treatment for cancer and severe malnutrition
Patient: My husband was diagnosed with cancer in October 2013. He had chemo and radiation for 7 weeks. He was recently hospitalized for severe malnutrition for 3 weeks. He will try to eat but does not swallow his food. All he is getting is tube feedings through the night. I am worried that the same thing is going to happen again from not eating. What can be done. Doctor: Thanks for your question on HCM.If your husband is not able to swallow than Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) is the only treatment we can give him.In TPN all the nutrients are given through larger veins of the body. Mostly through external jugular vein. So hospitalisation and central venous catheter is must . In TPN infusion contains1. Protiens2. Carbohydrates3. Lipids4. Multivitamins5. Minerals and trace elements. You can also give fruit juices, water, mashed food through naso gastric tube.