[The Latin-American survey on nutrition in Pediatric Intensive Care (ELAN-CIP)].

INTRODUCTION

Artificial Nutrition Support (ANS) is an important therapeutic technique in the care of the critically ill child that is not always implemented appropriately and correctly. There are also different ways of applying it which varies between the different centres and, even among the different health professionals.

MATERIAL METHODS

A cross-sectional multicentre survey.

RESULTS

A total of 24 PICUs took part in 14 countries, the majority multidisciplinary and belonging to public and university hospitals. The preferred ANS was enteral, administrated by the gastric route and started within the first 72h after admission. The administration techniques and monitoring of the ANS, enteral and parenteral, were variable but generally consistent with the world-wide accept recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

Latin-American PICUs prefer enteral ANS administered by gastric feed soon after admission.