Use of endotoxin retentive intravenous filters with paediatric total parenteral nutrition solutions.

We studied the retention of endotoxin released in a clinically relevant form by senescent bacteria during filtration of amino acid-based total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions by the PALL Intravenous Set Saver Filter (ELD96). The ELD96 was shown to be capable of providing an effluent free of detectable endotoxin (less than 0.125 endotoxin unit-equivalents/ml) when challenged with 10(6) total cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during simulated clinical TPN infusion. Parallel control experiments showed that endotoxin was released from the test organism and penetrated through conventional intravenous (i.v.) solution filters.