Evaluation of an electronic medical record-based Paediatric Nutrition Screening Tool.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition screening is recommended to identify children at risk for malnutrition. A unique screening tool was developed based on American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) recommendations and embedded in the electronic medical record to assess for nutrition risk. METHODS: The components of the tool included the Paediatric Nutrition Screening Tool (PNST) and other elements recommended by ASPEN. To evaluate the screening tool, retrospective data were analysed on all patients admitted to acute care units of Children's Wisconsin in 2019. Data collected included nutrition screen results, diagnosis and nutrition status. All patients who received at least one full nutrition assessment by a registered dietitian (RD) were included in analysis. RESULTS: One thousand five hundred seventy-five patients were included in analysis. The following screen elements were significantly associated with a diagnosis of malnutrition: any positive screen (p < 0.001), >2 food allergies (p = 0.009), intubation (p < 0.001), parenteral nutrition (p = 0.005), RD-identified risk (p < 0.001), positive risk per the PNST (p < 0.001), BMI-for-age or weight-for-length z-score (p < 0.001), intake <50% for 3 days (p = 0.012) and NPO > 3 days (p = 0.009). The current screen had a sensitivity of 93.9%, specificity of 20.3%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 30.9% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 89.8%. This is compared with the PNST which had a sensitivity of 32%, specificity of 94.2%, PPV of 71% and NPV of 75.8% in this study population. CONCLUSION: This unique screening tool is useful for predicting nutrition risk and has a greater sensitivity than the PNST alone.

Safety of Appetite Manipulation in Children with Feeding Disorders Admitted to an Inpatient Feeding Program.

OBJECTIVE: Appetite manipulation can be effective in weaning children off gastrostomy tube feeding dependence but can cause dehydration, hypoglycaemia, and ketone body production, which is anorexigenic. As the safety of this approach has not been described, our aim was to describe adverse events observed when weaning children from G-tube dependence using our appetite manipulation protocol. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of prospectively collected data of patients who completed our inpatient tube-weaning protocol. Daily safety parameters included twice-daily urine specific gravities and urine ketones and fasting capillary blood glucose. Graded clinical interventions to manage adverse events were collected. RESULTS: A total of 143 children with a mean age of 4.8 ±â€Š2.4 years were seen in the inpatient feeding program of which 74 (51.7%) were male. The children were hospitalized 10.1 ±â€Š2.5 days with the vast majority being discharged between days 11 and 14. Overall, 78.2% of patients experienced at least 1 adverse event: urine specific gravity >1.020 was seen in 60.5%, ketonuria in 48.9%, and hypoglycemia (≤60 mg/dL) in 13.4%. Only 2 children had blood glucose levels <40 mg/dL and these were corrected with oral supplementation. Graded clinical interventions to manage adverse events included oral rehydration in 89.9% of children and supplemental tube feeding in 25.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse effects are common when appetite manipulation is used to wean children off G-tube dependence. Anticipating, monitoring, and having a clear intervention plan in a closely monitored setting are necessary to safely use this method.

When parenteral nutrition is the answer: The case of pediatric intestinal rehabilitation.

In pediatric patients with intestinal failure, parenteral nutrition is lifesaving but also has several associated risks. The goals of intestinal rehabilitation include promoting growth, minimizing complications associated with intestinal failure, and reaching enteral autonomy, if possible. Pediatric intestinal rehabilitation programs are interdisciplinary teams that strive to provide optimal care for children dependent on parenteral nutrition. The provision of parenteral nutrition requires close monitoring of patients' growth, nutrition concerns, clinical status, and laboratory parameters. Recent advances in the field of intestinal rehabilitation include new lipid emulsions, considerations regarding enteral feeding, advances in micronutrient provision, and central venous catheter preservation techniques. Challenges in the field remain, including improving overall quality of life with home parenteral nutrition administration and preventing recently recognized complications such as chronic intestinal inflammation.

Patterns of use of malnutrition risk screening in pediatric populations: A survey of current practice among pediatric hospitals in North America.

Information on the use of validated malnutrition risk screening tools in pediatric facilities to guide malnutrition identification, diagnosis, and treatment is scarce. Therefore, a survey of pediatric healthcare facilities and practitioners to ascertain malnutrition risk screening practices in North America was conducted. A pediatric nutrition screening practices survey was developed and sent to members of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, the Council for Pediatric Nutrition Professionals and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group. Respondents represented 113 pediatric hospitals in the United States and six in Canada, of which 94 were inpatient and 59 were outpatient. Nutrition risk screening was completed in 90% inpatient settings, and 63% used a validated screening tool. Nurses performed most malnutrition risk screens in the inpatient setting. Nutrition risk screening was reported in 51% of outpatient settings, with a validated screening tool being used in 53%. Measured anthropometrics were used in 78% of inpatient settings, whereas 45% used verbally reported anthropometrics. Measured anthropometrics were used in 97% outpatient settings. Nutrition risk screening was completed in the electronic health record in 80% inpatient settings and 81% outpatient settings. Electronic health record positive screen generated an automatic referral in 80% of inpatient and 45% of outpatient settings. In this sample of pediatric healthcare organizations, the results demonstrate variation in pediatric malnutrition risk screening in North America. These inconsistencies justify the need to standardize pediatric malnutrition risk screening using validated pediatric tools and allocate resources to perform screening.

Overweight Infants Hospitalized for Bronchiolitis Associated With Severe Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Overweight negatively affects pediatric respiratory function. In this study, we evaluate if overweight is associated with more severe bronchiolitis in hospitalized infants. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed infants aged 30 to 365 days hospitalized for bronchiolitis from September 2019 to April 2020. Exclusion criteria included known risk factors for severe bronchiolitis, asthma treatment, or bacterial pneumonia. Weight-for-length z-score was categorized per the World Health Organization's growth assessments as overweight (z-score >2), underweight (z-score <-2), and standard weight (between -2 and ≤2). Primary outcomes included respiratory support, ICU stay, and local bronchiolitis score. Secondary outcomes included supplemental interventions. RESULTS: After exclusion criteria, 385 of 644 infants were categorized as overweight (n = 24), standard (n = 335), or underweight (n = 26). There were differences in need for respiratory support (overweight, 100%; standard weight, 81.8%; underweight, 76.9%; P = .03), highest support of high-flow nasal cannula (overweight, 75%; standard weight, 48%; underweight, 42%; P = .03), admission to ICU (overweight, 54.2%; standard weight, 21.5%; underweight, 34.7%; P < .001), and median bronchiolitis score (overweight, 8 [interquartile range 5-10]; standard weight, 4 [3-7]; underweight, 4 [3-7]; P = .01). Findings remained significant after age adjustments. Additionally, overweight experienced higher frequency of certain treatments. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests overweight is associated with more severe bronchiolitis in hospitalized infants supported by increased respiratory support level, bronchiolitis scores, and interventions. Higher need for ICU admission may be related to high-flow nasal cannula limitations on the acute care floor.

Assessing growth of infants with chylothorax receiving fortified skimmed human breast milk.

LEARNING OUTCOME: To learn how skimmed human milk (SHM) can be used in infants with chylothorax to support adequate weight gain and nutrition while receiving human milk. BACKGROUND: Traditional nutrition management for chylothorax is to limit long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) and provide a diet high in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Transition from human milk to formula has been required to provide the ratio of MCT to LCT required to stop the accumulation of chyle. Although SHM may provide the right fat content for a baby with chylothorax, previous studies have shown slow growth in infants receiving SHM. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that infants receiving SHM fortified with high-MCT infant formula will have age appropriate growth without re-accumulation of chyle. DESIGN/METHODS: Between 2017 and 2019, term infants with the diagnosis of chylothorax who were previously receiving human milk and transitioned to fortified SHM were monitored for growth and reaccumulation of chyle. RESULTS: The six infants who were prescribed fortified SHM with high-MCT infant formula using standardized recipes did not show reaccumulation of chyle and showed positive weight gain in five of the six study patients. The infants gained a mean weight of 30.5 g/day (±19.5), and their weight z scores improved by a mean of +0.29 (±0.33). CONCLUSIONS: Fortified SHM is a safe treatment option that can provide adequate nutrition for the infant with chylothorax to gain weight appropriately for age.

Defining Pediatric Failure to Thrive in the Developed World: Validation of a Semi-Objective Diagnosis Tool.

There is no concordance between current diagnostic criteria for failure to thrive (FTT). We analyzed validity of the Semi-Objective Failure to Thrive (SOFTT) diagnosis tool, which uses a combination of subjective and objective components to make the diagnosis of FTT. The tool was used to diagnose FTT in 94 patients who met 1 of 7 accepted criteria for FTT. Concurrent and predictive validity were demonstrated using anthropometric z-scores and change in anthropometric z-scores, respectively. SOFTT results correlated with differences in anthropometric z-scores for length ( P = .011), weight, weight-for-length, body mass index, mid-upper arm circumference, and triceps skinfold thickness ( P < .0001) between those diagnosed as normal and those with FTT. At follow-up, children with FTT compared with children rated as normal had significantly higher change in weight ( P ≤ .001) and body mass index ( P = .026) z-scores. The SOFTT tool leads to the accurate diagnosis of FTT demonstrated by concurrent and predictive validity.

Laboratory Monitoring of Children on Home Parenteral Nutrition: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The primary hypothesis of this article is that a team approach in creating a protocolized laboratory monitoring schedule for home parenteral nutrition (PN) patients improves patient safety by decreasing the occurrence of nutrition deficiencies and is cost-effective. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study of home PN patients, each patient followed an established protocol of laboratory monitoring and weekly review by an interdisciplinary team of dietitians, nurses, and physicians. Data collected included anthropometric measurements, laboratory results, deviations from laboratory protocols, laboratory charges, PN shortage information, and means of ameliorating such shortages. Cost-effectiveness analysis was only performed for nonmicronutrient laboratory tests. RESULTS: Fifteen children (male, n = 6) with a median age of 59 months (range, 19-216) were included in this study. Primary diagnoses included short bowel syndrome (47%) and intestinal pseudo-obstruction (40%). Patients received PN mixtures from 6 different infusion companies and experienced 60 different shortages in the PN formulation requiring adjustments or substitutions (mean, 4 shortages per patient). All patients had appropriate growth and complete micronutrient monitoring. No patient experienced any clinical symptoms due to shortages. The median number of laboratory draws/patient per month was 2.9 preprotocol compared with 1.14 postprotocol (P = .003). The median per patient per month charges were $2014 (interquartile range [IQR], 1471-2780) preprotocol compared with $792 (IQR, 435-1140) postprotocol (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: A structured team approach to laboratory monitoring of home PN patients can simplify PN management, significantly decrease monthly laboratory costs, and lead to fewer laboratory draws while improving micronutrient monitoring and preventing deficiencies.