You have reached this page as you are seeing a patient who is under the care of the Leicester Intestinal Failure Team (LIFT). If you are a patient with intestinal failure please visit our information for patients page
Intestinal Failure is a rare condition in which the small intestine is unable to digest and/or absorb the correct amount of nutrients, or is not able to reabsorb fluids produced by the intestine. Most commonly this is a result of surgery or a chronic condition causing the gut to fail. Many of our patients are on parenteral nutrition (PN) and will have a dedicated central venous access device for this that should only be accessed by appropriately trained staff.
Vascular Access Devices:
In order to prevent line infection, and possible loss of the vascular access device, it is vital that only PN trained staff and patients access lines that are used for parenteral nutrition. It is very likely that our patients will challenge you on this if you try to access their line.
If it is necessary to access the PN line and you are not a PN trained member of staff you should seek assistance. During normal working hours the Nutrition Specialist Nurses can be contacted, and out of hours you should speak to the nurse in charge on the Intestinal Failure Unit (Ward 43 LRI) or the Deteriorating Adult Response Team (DART) nurses for advice.
If line sepsis is suspected paired central and peripheral blood cultures should be taken by appropriately trained staff only (see appendix 11 in the PN Policy).
Resources:
Guideline for the management of adults with a high output stoma
UHL Policy on Parenteral Nutrition via a Central Venous Catheter (being updated)
Welcome to the Intestinal Failure Unit (English)
Welcome to the Intestinal Failure Unit (Gujarati)
Welcome to the Intestinal Failure Unit (Polish)
Podcast on the management of High Output Stomas
Contact details:
If you need to speak to us please contact us on the numbers below during working hours and one of the team will be able to help or put you in contact with the correct consultant.
- Telephone: 0116 258 6988
- Fax: 0116 258 6598
You can meet the team here
Outside of normal working hours there is a Gastroenterology Specialist Registrar available Monday to Friday 5pm until 10pm and from 9am to 10pm on weekends via UHL Switchboard on 0300 303 1573
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