Table 3.
Suggested monitoring frequency per source of recommendation
| Analyte | BAPEN10 | NICE2 | ESPEN11 | AuSPEN12 |
| Sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, calcium, phosphate, magnesium, urea, creatinine, bilirubin and glucose | 1–3 monthly | Guidance offers no distinction between inpatient/outpatient setting | Weekly or monthly, 3–4 monthly when stable | 3 monthly |
| Liver enzymes | As above | As above | Monthly, 3–4 monthly when stable | As above |
| Total protein and albumin | As above (assumed as part of ‘liver function tests’) |
Not given | As above | As above (assumed as part of ‘liver function tests’) |
| CRP | As above | Guidance offers no distinction between inpatient/outpatient setting | Weekly or monthly, 3–4 monthly when stable | ‘Inflammatory markers if ongoing inflammatory disease—no frequency given |
| Full blood count and PT | White cell count 1–3 monthly, no mention of PT | Full blood count and mean cell volume—guidance offers no distinction between inpatient/outpatient setting | As above | ‘Haematology screen’ 3 monthly, with INR if anticoagulated |
| Lipids: cholesterol and triglycerides | 3 monthly | Not given | Not given | ‘Longer-term patients should have a lipid screening’—no frequency given |
| Vitamin D* | As above | 6 monthly | Every 6–12 months | Not given |
| Vitamin B9 and B12 | As above | Guidance offers no distinction between inpatient/outpatient setting | As above | Not given |
| Vitamin A and E | As above | Not given | As above | Not given |
| Iron and ferritin | Not given | 3–6 monthly† | Every 3–6 months | ‘Iron status’ 6 monthly |
| Copper and zinc | 3 monthly | Guidance offers no distinction between inpatient/outpatient setting | Every 6–12 months | 6 monthly |
| Manganese | As above | 3–6 monthly | Annually | As above |
| Selenium | As above | ‘Further testing dependent on baseline’ | Every 6–12 months | As above |
*Association for Clinical Biochemistry (ACB) -Repeat after 3–6 months on replacement if baseline was low and potential absorption defect.20
†ACB - Also endorsed by the ACB national minimum re-testing interval project.20
BAPEN, British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition; CRP, C reactive protein; ESPEN, European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition; NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; PT, prothrombin time.