Artificial nutrition is a way of giving the body the nutrition it needs when it cannot get enough from food in the usual way. That might be because a person cannot eat at all, cannot eat enough, or can eat but their body cannot absorb enough from what they eat. It is planned by a hospital nutrition team and, for many people, carried on at home. That is what "home artificial nutrition" means, and you will often hear it shortened to HAN.
The two main kinds
Enteral nutrition uses the gut. It is used when the gut can still absorb food but a person cannot eat or swallow enough. A liquid feed goes into the stomach or the small bowel, usually through a tube. This is often called tube feeding, and when it is done at home it is called home enteral nutrition, or HEN.
Parenteral nutrition goes around the gut completely. It is used when the gut cannot absorb enough, or cannot be used. A specially made mixture goes straight into the bloodstream through a line in a large vein near the heart. When it gives all of a person's nutrition it is called total parenteral nutrition, or TPN. When it is done at home it is called home parenteral nutrition, or HPN. Some people have both kinds at different times.
Who needs it, and why
People come to artificial nutrition for many different reasons. They usually fit one or more of these:
- They cannot swallow safely, for example after a stroke, with a neurological condition, or after cancer of the head, neck or gullet.
- They cannot eat enough, because eating is painful, makes them very sick, or they cannot keep enough down.
- They can eat, but their body cannot absorb enough from food. This is called intestinal failure. It can happen when part of the bowel has been removed (short bowel), when the bowel is damaged by illness, or when it does not move food along as it should.
- Their gut is blocked, leaking or needs to rest, so food cannot safely go through it.
Some people, like me, were left unable to eat after an operation that did not go the way anyone hoped. Others still eat a little, or eat normally, and artificial nutrition makes up what their body cannot take from food.
For some people it is for a few weeks or months. For others it is for life.
What it is like at home
At home you are trained to set up your own feed, or a family member or carer is trained to help. A homecare company delivers your feeds and equipment, and a nutrition team at the hospital keeps an eye on you with regular blood tests and clinic visits.
It keeps you alive, and it can give you a good life back. It also changes almost everything about your day, your relationships and the way you feel about food. That is why this community exists.
Remember: everyone's plan is different. Your own nutrition team knows your feed, your line or tube and your health. Always follow their advice over anything you read here.