Which of the following statements is true about home PN candidacy, given the listed risk groups?

• A. Infants are the lowest risk candidates
• B. Teenagers are not eligible for home PN
• C. Intravenous drug abusers are among those not ideal for home PN initiation
• D. Diabetes is not a concern for home PN candidacy

Answer: (C)

When choosing candidates for home PN, the crucial factor is the ability to keep the central line clean, manage glucose and nutrients safely, and adhere to a complex regimen at home. Active intravenous drug use creates the clearest safety concerns: a central venous catheter is a gateway for infection, and inconsistent line care or tampering risk increases catheter-related bloodstream infections and hospitalization. This makes such individuals poor choices for initiating home PN.

Diabetes is indeed a concern because PN delivers a fixed, high glucose load, so glucose control requires close monitoring, dosing adjustments, and multidisciplinary management to prevent hyper- or hypoglycemia. Infants and teenagers aren’t automatically excluded; infants require highly specialized pediatric PN expertise and closer supervision, and teens can be considered for home PN with appropriate psychosocial support and monitoring. The statement about intravenous drug abusers being not ideal reflects the real safety risk more clearly than the others.