Objectives: 1) to determine zinc and copper levels of contamination in the individual component solutions used to prepare the pediatric total parenteral nutrition mixtures in Argentina; 2) to compare zinc and copper amounts prescribed by the physician with the true amount given to a neonate weighing 1.2 kg and to a child weighing 10 kg, who would receive total parenteral nutrition formulas prepared with those component solutions.
Materials And Methods: Zn and Cu were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 59 individual solutions belonging to 14 components chosen between the commercial products available in Argentina.
Objectives: To study in severe patients that required parenteral nutrition the relationship between Zn and Cu amounts present in formulas, the clinical course and changes in some biochemical parameters (plasmatic and erythrocytic Zn and Cu levels) during the parenteral nutrition therapy.
Patients And Methodology: Five adult severe patients were studied, submitted to major abdominal surgery, and that required parenteral nutrition. Determinations were done for: 1) Zinc and copper in parenteral formulas; 2) in patients, at the beginning (T0) and at the end (Tf) of treatment, in erythrocytes: zinc (Zn-E) and cupper (Cu-E); in plasma, zinc (Zn-Pl) and in serum, cupper (Cu-S).