A client requires short-term nutritional support with fewer calories per day. Should TPN or PPN be administered?

Administering PPN, or Peripheral Parenteral Nutrition, is appropriate in this case because it provides a solution that offers fewer calories compared to TPN, or Total Parenteral Nutrition. PPN is delivered through peripheral veins, making it suitable for short-term nutritional support, especially in patients who do not require a full caloric replacement or who are not in a condition that demands complete intravenous nutrition.

PPN typically contains smaller volumes and concentrations of nutrients, which aligns with the need for fewer calories daily. This approach is ideal when the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is not functional or cannot meet nutritional needs adequately for a limited duration, but the situation does not call for the intensive calorie delivery that TPN provides.

The other methods mentioned, such as oral nutrition and enteral nutrition, are more appropriate for clients whose GI tract is functioning and can utilize food directly or through tube feeding. In cases where patients cannot receive adequate nutrition by these means and require intravenous support, PPN is the method of choice if a less aggressive approach is needed.