Nutrition assessment of the critically ill child

METABOLIC AND NUTRITIONAL REPERCUSSIONS OF LIVER DISEASE ON CHILDREN: HOW TO MINIMIZE THEM?

Objective:

To describe the metabolic and nutritional repercussions of chronic liver disease (CLD), proposing strategies that optimize nutritional therapy in the pre- and post-liver transplantation (LT) period, in order to promote favorable clinical outcomes and adequate growth and development, respectively.

Data sources:

Bibliographic search in the PubMed, Lilacs and SciELO databases of the last 12 years, in English and Portuguese; target population: children from early childhood to adolescence; keywords in Portuguese and their correlates in English: “Liver Transplant,” “Biliary Atresia,” “Nutrition Therapy,” “Nutritional Status,” and “Child”; in addition to Boolean logics “and” and “or,” and the manual search of articles.

Data synthesis:

Malnutrition in children with CLD is a very common condition and an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality. There is an increase in energy and protein demand, as well as difficulties in the absorption of carbohydrates, lipids and micronutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins and some minerals. An increase in the supply of energy, carbohydrates and proteins and micronutrients, especially fat-soluble vitamins, iron, zinc and calcium, is suggested, except in cases of hepatic encephalopathy (this restriction is indicated for a short period).

Conclusions:

Based on metabolic changes and anthropometric and body composition monitoring, a treatment plan should be developed, following the nutritional recommendations available, in order to minimize the negative impact of malnutrition on clinical outcomes during and after LT.

Nutrition Support of Children With Chronic Liver Diseases: A Joint Position Paper of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition

Chronic liver disease places patients at increased risk of malnutrition that can be challenging to identify clinically and treat. Nutrition support is a key aspect of the management of these patients as it has an impact on their quality of life, morbidity, and mortality. There are significant gaps in the literature regarding the optimal nutrition support for patients with different types of liver diseases and the impact of these interventions on long-term outcomes. This Position Paper summarizes the available literature on the nutritional aspects of the care of patients with chronic liver diseases. Specifically, the challenges associated with the nutritional assessment of these subjects are discussed, and recently investigated approaches to determining the patients' nutritional status are reviewed. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of the malnutrition seen in the context of chronic liver disease is summarized and monitoring, as well as treatment, recommendations are provided. Lastly, suggestions for future research studies are described.

Nutritional management in the critically ill child with acute kidney injury: a review

Acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill children is frequently a component of the multiple organ failure syndrome. It occurs within the framework of the severe catabolic phase determined by critical illness and is intensified by metabolic derangements. Nutritional support is a must for these children to improve outcomes. Meeting the special nutritional needs of these children often requires nutritional supplementation by either the enteral or the parenteral route. Since critically ill children with AKI comprise a heterogeneous group of subjects with varying nutrient needs, nutritional requirements should be frequently reassessed, individualized and carefully integrated with renal replacement therapy. This article is a state-of-the-art review of nutrition in critically ill children with AKI.

Feeding the child with liver disease: a review and practical clinical guide

Nourishing children with liver disease is a challenging task; however, appropriate assessment and well-timed nutritional interventions are paramount for a good long-term outcome in these patients. An appropriate balance of macronutrients, micronutrients, and vitamins is important, as is the route of administration. This review aims to highlight the practical points in nutrition assessment and also provides a guide to the various nutritional interventions available for children with chronic liver disease.