Abnormal vitamin levels in patients receiving home total parenteral nutrition.

The administration of multivitamins to patients receiving home parenteral nutrition (HPN) was decreased from once daily to three times weekly during the parenteral multivitamin shortage in 1997. Blood vitamin levels were measured to examine whether the decrement in the infused vitamins affected the levels. Six patients with normal renal and liver function, receiving HPN for 6 months to 10 years, were studied 6 months after the institution of 10 mL of multivitamins thrice weekly. Two patients with renal insufficiency who required hemodialysis and HPN were also studied. Multivitamin administration was eliminated in one patient and was reduced to once weekly when elevated pyridoxine levels were found in association with possible neurotoxicity. Five of the six patients with normal renal function had low serum ascorbic acid levels. Serum riboflavin levels were found to be low in one patient, serum pyridoxine was low in one, serum retinoids were low in three, and serum niacin was low in one. There were no clinically obvious untoward effects caused by the vitamin deficiencies. Each of the dialysis patients had elevated serum pyridoxine levels and had some neurologic disturbance (peripheral neuropathy, involuntary movements). The serum pyridoxine levels fell to normal in each after the cessation or decrease of the multivitamin preparation. Ascorbic acid levels were low in one patient and fell into abnormally low levels in the other when the parenteral multivitamins were reduced, but they corrected with the separate administration of intravenous vitamin C. In conclusion, the reduced administration of multivitamins in 1997 resulted in diminished ascorbic acid levels in seven of eight patients receiving total parenteral nutrition. Less often, low levels of retinoids, niacin, pyridoxine, and riboflavin were seen. Patients with chronic renal failure receiving HPN with multivitamins may develop elevated pyridoxine levels, which might result in neurologic sequelae.