emirates7 - The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) is set to host the first edition of the Middle Eastern Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (MESPEN) Congress, which will take place in Abu Dhabi from 13th-15th May.

Organised by INDEX Conferences & Exhibition at the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers hotel, the congress aims to highlight the crucial values of parenteral and enteral nutrition (PEN) in patient care, and emphasise the importance of clinical nutrition practices among specialised healthcare providers such as physicians, pharmacists, clinical dietitians, and nurses.

Parenteral nutrition, also known as TPN, is the most complex solution in the pharmacy that provides liquid nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes, into a vein of the patient and does not use the digestive system. It is provided to patients who cannot use their gastrointestinal system efficiently. TPN must be ordered, processed, infused, and monitored by qualified clinicians in a multidisciplinary approach.

Whereas, enteral nutrition, also known as tube feeding, refers to the administration of special liquid formula that are specially designed to treat and manage patient's medical and nutritional status. The liquid solutions are administer through a tube to the enteral system of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract directly into the stomach or into the jejunum via nasogastric, nasojejunal, gastrostomy or jejunostomy depending of patients' clinical condition.

With more than 20 major global and regional companies participating, MESPEN will feature over 50 well-renowned keynote speakers who will touch on various topics through 60 sessions, 25 abstracts, and conduct various workshops that tackle PEN in hospitalisation, outpatient and homecare settings, all of which will foster clinical nutrition within healthcare organisations and community services.

Dr. Taif Al Sarraj, Chair of the MESPEN Congress and Chief of Clinical Support Services, Tawam Hospital – a SEHA healthcare facility, said, "This is the first congress in the Middle East that aims to highlight the crucial values of PEN in hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients who are unable to be fed orally due to their medical diagnosis and clinical condition. We are emphasising on the importance of practicing advanced clinical nutrition among our healthcare professionals to minimize malnutrition and ensure an appropriate route of feeding patients for a better recovery outcome, and physical well-being and function."

Dr. Osama Tabbara, Co-Chair of the MESPEN Congress and President of IVPN-Network, said, "We are delighted to welcome the first MESPEN Congress to Abu Dhabi. Join us to meet our world class experts and speakers and connect with 1,000 passionate delegates from across the world. This congress will attendees on the latest clinical and practical aspects in hospital and long-term homecare nutrition. It will also stimulate people’s appetite to become active members and speakers in future events and activities."

Dr. Wafaa Ayesh, Co-Chair of the MESPEN Congress and Vice President of ASPCN, said, "MESPEN will give doctors, clinical dieticians, clinical pharmacists and nurses an opportunity to discuss the importance of PEN in different fields of medicine. Parallel to the congress, I am glad to announce two lifelong learning (LLL) programme courses - Nutrition Support in Liver and Pancreatic Diseases and Approach to Oral and Enteral Nutrition in Adults."