Early transpyloric enteral nutrition in critically ill children

OBJECTIVE: We compared the tolerance of early (within the first 24 h after admission to the pediatric intensive care unit) and late transpyloric enteral nutrition in critically ill children. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study including all critically ill children fed using transpyloric enteral nutrition. The clinical characteristics, energy intake, tolerance, and complications of nutritional delivery between the children with early (first 24 h) and late (after 24 h, range 1-43 d) transpyloric enteral nutrition were compared. RESULTS: Transpyloric nutrition was started within the first 24 h in 202 (38.5%) of the 526 children. There were no differences in the diagnoses, incidence of organ disturbances, doses of vasoactive drugs, or mortality between the two groups. There were no differences in the maximum number of calories delivered or in the duration of the nutrition between children with early and late transpyloric nutrition. The incidence of abdominal distention was lower in the children receiving early transpyloric nutrition (3.5%) than in those receiving nutrition at a later date (7.8%; P < 0.05). Moreover, 6.3% of patients presented diarrhea, with no difference being found between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Early transpyloric enteral nutrition is well tolerated in critically ill children and is not associated with an increase in incidence of complications.     

Barriers to adequate care for mentally ill people

A serious and chronic problem that confronts mentally ill people and mental health professionals is the inability of society to provide the requisite resources for adequate care-giving systems. This difficulty has been evident for almost two hundred years. The present paper summarizes the major causal processes as these were revealed in the course of a case study of a mental health centre and its catchment area in Nova Scotia. These barriers to adequate care systems are then considered in historical perspective in order to illustrate how they function more generally. The historical perspective reveals a further handicap in the fact that experiences gained in one reform movement are not transmitted and utilized in subsequent efforts.     

危重症儿童营养筛查及营养评定的研究进展

危重症儿童营养不良发生率高,住院期间因多种因素导致营养处方难以完成,增加营养不良发生。合理的营养筛查及营养评定是危重症儿童营养治疗的基石。实施动态营养评定可有效评价营养治疗疗效,并提供改善营养状况的建议。现就危重症儿童营养筛查及营养评定的研究进展进行综述。     

Glutamine-enhanced nutrition in the critically ill patient

It is well established that critically ill patients have a deficiency of the amino acid glutamine. This article reviews the evidence for supplemental glutamine in the critically ill, focusing on the benefits in terms of reduced mortality and infectious morbidity.     

Risk factors for gastrointestinal complications in critically ill children with transpyloric enteral nutrition

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk factors for gastrointestinal complications related to enteral nutrition in critically ill children. DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit. SUBJECTS: Five hundred and twenty-six critically ill children who received transpyloric enteral nutrition(TEN). METHODS: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for gastrointestinal complications. RESULTS: Sixty six patients (11.5%) presented gastrointestinal complications, 33 (6.2%) abdominal distension and/or excessive gastric residue, 34 (6.4%) diarrhea, one gastrointestinal bleeding, three necrotizing enterocolitis and one duodenal perforation. Enteral nutrition was definitively suspended because of gastrointestinal complications in 11 (2.1%) patients. Fifty patients (9.5%) died. Gastrointestinal complications were more frequent in the patients who died. Death was related to complications of the nutrition in only one patient. The frequency of gastrointestinal complications was significantly higher in children with shock, acute renal failure, hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia and in those receiving dopamine, epinephrine and vecuronium. The stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the most important factors associated with gastrointestinal complications were shock, epinephrine at a rate higher than 0.3 microg/kg/min and hypophosphatemia. CONCLUSIONS: The tolerance of TEN in critically ill children is good, although the incidence of gastrointestinal complications is higher in patients with shock, acute renal failure, hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia, and those receiving epinephrine, dopamine, and vecuronium.     

高血糖危重病病人的肠内营养应用

目的:观察用不同肠内营养配方对高血糖危重病病人营养支持后血糖、血脂等的影响. 方法:分别用安素、能全力、益力佳对45例病人行相同热量的肠内营养,监测空腹血糖、血常规、血清钾、钠、氯、肝肾功能、前清蛋白及转铁蛋白,留24 h尿,测尿素氮、肌酐浓度. 结果:鼻饲安素和能全力病人空腹血糖明显升高,需加用胰岛素治疗,而益力佳组空腹血糖波动小,无需加用胰岛素(P<0.05).三组病人肠内营养前后的血清三酰甘油和胆固醇均无明显变化. 结论:危重病病人应该早期进行肠内营养,并根据病人的不同情况选用不同的肠内营养剂.     

Nutritional support in critically ill children

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Enteral nutrition is the feeding method of choice during critical illness, but in some cases as few as 25% are fed appropriately. The aim was to retrospectively review the administration of nutrition to critically ill children.METHODS: The notes of 95 children over the age of 1 year who were in PICU>or=3 days were reviewed and information related to the delivery of nutrition was obtained. RESULTS: Fifty-nine per cent were fed within 24h of admission. Enteral nutrition was administered 54% of the time, 10% required parenteral nutrition and 9.5% received no nutritional support. Children only received a median 58.8 (range 0-277)% of their energy requirements, which could not be optimised until the 10th intensive care day. Energy intake was greater when supplemented with parenteral nutrition. Parenteral nutrition administration was interrupted 3 times while enteral nutrition was stopped 264 times, mainly to allow other clinical procedures to take place. For 75% of the study time, children had abnormal bowel patterns. Seventy-nine per cent were constipated for 3-21 days and 43% had diarrhoea of unknown aetiology. CONCLUSION: This was a retrospective study to describe the efficiency of nutritional support in critically ill children. We have shown that it is possible to administer enteral nutrition safely. However, the difference between desirable intake and actual intake achieved suggests that a more pro-active approach should be adopted.     

危重症儿童营养风险筛查和营养评估

目的 调查危重症儿童营养风险、营养不良的发生情况,为临床进行营养支持提供依据。方法 采用2010年STRONG kids评分标准对326例危重症住院患儿进行营养风险筛查,并通过体格测量评估儿童营养状况。结果 326例病人均完成STRONG kids筛查,营养风险和营养不良的发生率分别为51.53%(168例)和23.01%(75例),消化系统疾病营养风险及营养不良检出率均高于其他系统疾病(P<0.05);病例组患儿按危重症评分水平分为三组:极危重组营养风险发生率明显高于另外两组(P<0.01)。结论 危重症儿童营养风险及营养不良发生率高,可采用STRONG kids评分对危重症患儿进行营养风险筛查,尽早予以合理营养支持。     

Procalcitonin and enteral nutrition tolerance in critically ill patients

BACKGROUND: Serum procalcitonin concentrations have been reported to be elevated in patients with bacterial infection. Early enteral nutrition (EN) has been shown to decrease infections in trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize procalcitonin and other serum proteins during EN of trauma patients based on EN tolerance and presence of infection. METHODS: Twenty traumatized patients received a high-protein enteral formulation within 5 days of injury. Serum for procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and prealbumin was analyzed on days 1 and 7 of EN. The procalcitonin/prealbumin and C-reactive protein/prealbumin ratios were calculated the same days. Patients who were infected during the study were compared with those not infected, and enteral-tolerant patients were compared with enteral-intolerant patients using these measurements. RESULTS: In the 20 trauma patients, procalcitonin (10.35 +/- 27.87 versus 1.03 +/- 1.24 ng/mL, p < .001) and procalcitonin/prealbumin ratio (1.70 +/- 4.20 versus 0.18 +/- 0.28, p < .01) decreased significantly over the 7-day period of EN. In the 12 patients who had infection, procalcitonin (16.33 +/- 35.31 versus 1.37 +/- 1.41 ng/mL, p < .004) and procal- citonin/prealbumin ratio (2.74 +/- 5.31 versus 0.26 +/- 0.33, p < .01) decreased significantly over the 7-day period of enteral nutrition. There were no significant changes in the measurements for 8 patients without infection. In the 15 patients who were enteral-tolerant, procalcitonin (12.56 +/- 32.84 versus 1.07 +/- 1.23 ng/mL, p < .004) and procalcitonin/prealbumin ratio (2.03 +/- 4.93 versus 0.20 +/- 0.29, p < .01) decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Procalcitonin serum concentrations decrease significantly during EN in enteral-tolerant, critically ill patients with infection.     

Malnutrition in critically ill infants and children

The prevalences of acute and chronic protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and deficiencies in stores of fat and somatic protein have not been previously examined in pediatric intensive care unit. One hundred eight nutritional assessments were performed using anthropometric techniques on infants and children in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit. Overall, the prevalence of acute PEM was 19% and chronic PEM was 18%. The prevalence of fat store depletion was 14% and somatic protein store depletion was 21%. In general, children less than 2 years had poorer nutritional status compared to children greater than 2 years. There was not a statistically significant difference between medical and surgical patients. It is concluded that PEM and deficiencies in the macronutrient stores of fat and somatic protein are common in critically ill infants and children.     

Hyperglycemia and mortality in critically ill children

Several pathologic conditions are accompanied by stress-induced hyperglycemia in non-diabetic individuals which influences mortality and morbidity. AIMS: Prospective studies in adults support that glycemic control is an independent predictor of survival and normoglycemia has a beneficial effect on the outcome of patients. Few data are available in children, however a retrospective study documented significant correlation between mortality and duration, intensity and peak value of hyperglycemia. In the present study, the authors investigated the relationship between blood glucose level and pathological process in a multidisciplinary pediatric intensive care department retrospectively. RESULTS: It has been shown that highest blood glucose values were associated with fatal outcome independent of diagnosis (mean: 14,38 mmol/l) and with septicemia independent of final outcome (mean: 13,97 mmol/l). Patients with fatal outcome were hyperglycemic during the total duration (mean: 7,59 mmol/l) and on the last day (mean: 7,00 mmol/l) of treatment. Patients who survived had significantly lower blood glucose over the whole duration (mean: 6,52 mmol/l; p < 0,01) and on the last day of treatment (mean: 5,28 mmol/l; p < 0,01) than those who died. Percent of treatment days with blood glucose > = 6,1 mmol/l was significantly lower in case of survival as compared with fatal cases (42,68 vs. 74.07 %; p < 0,01) and the highest rate was observed in those with fatal septcemia (mean: 76,52 %). CONCLUSIONS: These data support that, similarly to adults, critical condition in children induces sustained hyperglycemia and higher peak values and longer duration of elevated blood glucose are associated with higher mortality rate. Septicemia proved to be potent inductor of abnormalities of carbohydrate metabolism.     

早期肠内营养支持在危重症病人中的应用

目的:探讨早期肠内营养(EEN)支持在危重症病人中的应用效果. 方法:将ICU中65例危重症病人随机分为EEN组(35例)和肠外营养(PN)组(30例),并将营养支持情况进行对比分析. 结果:经EEN支持后血清清蛋白(ALB)和血红蛋白(Hb)较治疗前升高(P＜0.05),而经PN支持后各指标差异无显著性意义.两组对比EEN组病人ALB高于PN组(P＜0.05).EEN组在肱三头肌皮皱厚度(TSF)和上臂肌围(AMC)与PN组无显著性差异(P＞0.05),在Hb及氮平衡方面则明显优于PN组(P＜0.05). 结论:对于危重症病人,EEN较PN有更好的营养效果和代谢效应.     

营养支持治疗在老年危重患者救治中的应用

目的探讨不同营养支持方式在老年危重患者救治中的作用。方法选择老年危重患者98例,根据不同营养支持方式分为肠外营养(PN)组30例,肠内营养(EN)组32例,PN+EN组36例。摄入同等总热量和同等氮量,营养支持治疗时间14 d。治疗0 d和连续营养支持治疗14 d后,检测血清白蛋白(Alb)、前白蛋白(PA)、血红蛋白(Hb)、淋巴细胞总数(TLC)、免疫球蛋白(IgA、IgG、IgM)值并进行回顾性对比分析。结果 3组患者Hb均较治疗前增高。EN+PN组患者Alb、PA较PN组及EN组治疗后增高。营养支持治疗后,3组患者TLC明显增高。EN组IgA、IgM,EN+PN组IgA、IgG、IgM均较PN组增高。PN+EN组并发症低于PN组及EN组。结论老年危重患者救治中应根据老年人特点及疾病不同情况合理选择营养支持方式,PN+EN联合应用更有利于改善老年危重患者营养状况及免疫功能,减少并发症发生,促进疾病的康复。     

Glutamine: essential for immune nutrition in the critically ill

Critically ill patients on intensive care units are at an increased risk of sepsis, which is a major cause of mortality in these patients. Recent evidence suggests that impairment of the functioning of the immune system contributes to the development of sepsis in such patients. In particular, monocytes show reduced expression of HLA-DR antigen, associated with impaired antigen presenting capability and decreased phagocytic activity; lymphocytes show decreased proliferation in response to mitogens and T-helper cells show a shift in the Th1/Th2 ratio consistent with impaired immunity. The amino acid glutamine becomes conditionally essential in the critically ill, yet such patients frequently have a marked deficiency of glutamine; the reasons for this are still unclear. Glutamine is required by the cells of the immune system both as a primary fuel and as a carbon and nitrogen donor for nucleotide precursor synthesis. In vivo studies have demonstrated that glutamine is essential for optimal immune cell functioning for monocytes, lymphocytes and neutrophils. A number of trials of patients fed by the enteral or parenteral route have shown improved infectious morbidity when supplemented with glutamine. However, the exact mechanism of glutamine action in these patients remains to be determined.     

Gastric motility function in critically ill patients tolerant vs intolerant to gastric nutrition

BACKGROUND: Administration of gastric enteral nutrition (EN) in the intensive care unit (ICU) is commonly impeded by high gastric residual volumes (GRV). This study evaluated gastric emptying in patients with limited GRV (tolerant group) vs volumes > or =150 mL (intolerant group) and whether prokinetic therapy improves gastric motility in intolerant patients. METHODS: To assess gastric motility, mechanically ventilated patients received acetaminophen 975 mg, and peak plasma concentration (Cmax), concentration at 60 minutes (C(60)), time to Cmax (Tmax), and area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 60 minutes (AUC(0-60)) were determined. This evaluation was repeated in intolerant patients after 24 hours of either erythromycin 250 mg or metoclopramide 10 mg therapy, both administered intravenously every 6 hours. RESULTS: Ten tolerant and 20 intolerant patients were studied. Tolerant patients had significantly greater Cmax (14.12 +/- 7.25 vs 9.28 +/- 5.22 mg/L; p < .05), C(60) (9.62 +/- 4.65 vs 6.08 +/- 4.00 mg/L; p < .001), and AUC(0-60) (10.01 +/- 5.97 vs 3.93 +/- 2.84 mg/h/L; p < .01) and shortened Tmax (0.81 +/- 0.61 vs 1.98 +/- 1.26 hours; p < .001) compared with intolerant patients. After prokinetic therapy, Cmax (15.26 +/- 8.85 mg/L), C(60) (11.96 +/- 5.99 mg/L), and AUC(0-60) (10.90 +/- 6.57 mg/h/L) increased and Tmax (1.07 +/- 1.01 hours) decreased in the intolerant group to values similar to the tolerant group. CONCLUSIONS: ICU patients with elevated GRV during gastric EN have delayed gastric motility. Initiating prokinetic therapy accelerates gastric emptying to resemble that of ICU patients tolerating EN.     

早期肠内营养在危重症病人营养支持中的临床价值

目的:通过对危重症病人行早期肠内营养(EEN),观察病人的临床转归和评价EEN的应用价值.方法:将46例危重症病人随机分为治疗组和对照组.治疗组病人在入住ICU的24～48 h内行EN,对照组病人在入ICU的48 h后开始EN.比较两组病人对营养支持的耐受性、营养指标、肝功能、EN可耐受的起始时间、达EN目标喂养点所需...