[Nutritional evaluation of children with respiratory failure (RF): anthropometric evaluation upon admission to the pediatric intensive care units].

OBJECTIVE

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) constitutes an important complication in children submitted to intensive care treatment for respiratory failure (RF). This complication is not usually evaluated in assessment protocols. Nutrition assessment in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) was performed in children with respiratory failure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A prospective study involving 65 children (1-158 months of age) with RF at admission to the PICU was carried out. The patients studied were divided into four groups according to their etiology: Group I (n = 29) included those with acute bronchial pathology; Group II (n = 17) those with pneumonia: Group III (n = 11) those in the post-operative period following cardiac surgery; and Group IV (n = 8) those patients with multiple-organ dysfunction. All patients in Groups I, II, and III had chronic diseases. Anthropometrical and nutritional evaluation included weight, height and body mass index (w/h2).

RESULTS

The weight for age was low (59%). Height deficit was observed in a significantly lower percentage of the patients (13.1%). The body mass index showed values in relationship to the 50th percentile that varied between 83.4 +/- 23.1% and 97.1 +/- 4.7%. In 68.9% of the patients the criteria of global malnutrition were met according to the classification of McLaren and Read.

CONCLUSIONS

The data confirm that PEM is frequent in patients with RF in the PICU and emphasize the usefulness of anthropometrical evaluation as an important, simple and non-invasive method of nutritional evaluation. Early and intensive nutritional intervention can reduce or prevent the vicious circle of malnutrition in RF patients hospitalized in the PICU.