No abstract

Hypoalbuminemia at admission to a PICU is associated with higher 60-day mortality, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, and lower probability of ICU discharge. These associations are independent of the magnitude of inflammatory response, clinical severity, and nutritional status.

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The incidence of low blood thiamine concentrations upon admission was high. Of the risk factors examined, only the magnitude of the systemic inflammatory response showed an independent association with this event. The association between thiamine deficiency upon admission and prognosis requires further investigation.

The program motivated an increase in EN and a decrease in PN use, mainly after implementation of NST and reduced in-PICU mortality rate.

BackgroundThe relationship between malaria and undernutrition is controversial and complex. Synergistic associations between malnutrition and malaria morbidity and mortality have been suggested, as well as undernutrition being protective against infection, while other studies found no association. We sought to evaluate the relationship between the number of malaria episodes and nutritional statuses in a cohort of children below 15 years of age living in a rural community in the Brazilian Amazon.Methodology/Principal FindingsFollowing a baseline survey of clinical, malaria and nutritional assessment including anthropometry measurements and hemoglobin concentration, 202 children ranging from 1 month to 14 years of age were followed for one year through passive case detection for malaria episodes. After follow-up, all children were assessed again in order to detect changes in nutritional indicators associated with malaria infection. We also examined the risk of presenting malaria episodes during follow-up according to presence of stunting at baseline. Children who suffered malaria episodes during follow-up presented worse anthropometric parameters values during this period. The main change was a reduction of the linear growth velocity, associated with both the number of episodes and how close the last or only malaria episode and the second anthropometric assessment were. Changes were also observed for indices associated with chronic changes, such as weight-for-age and BMI-for-age, which conversely, were more frequently observed in children with the last or only episode occurring between 6 and 12 months preceding the second nutritional assessment survey. Children with inadequate height-for-age at baseline (Z-score < -2) presented lower risk of suffering malaria episodes during follow-up as assessed by both the log-rank test (p =0.057) and the multivariable Cox-proportional hazards regression (Hazard Ratio = 0.31, 95%CI [0.10; 0.99] p=0.049).ConclusionsMalaria was associated with impaired nutritional status amongst children in an endemic area of the Western Brazilian Amazon where P. vivax predominates. Our data all supports that the association presents differential effects for each age group, suggesting distinct pathophysiology pathways. We were also able to demonstrate that undernourishment at baseline was protective to malaria during follow-up. These findings support an intriguing interaction between these conditions in the rural Amazon and the need for a more integrative approach by health systems in endemic areas.

Despite the advances made in monitoring and treatment of sepsis and septic shock, many septic patients ultimately develop multiple organ dysfunction (MODS) and die, suggesting that other players are involved in the pathophysiology of this syndrome. Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs early in sepsis and has a central role in MODS development. MODS severity and recovery of mitochondrial function have been associated with survival. In recent clinical and experimental investigations, mitochondrion-target therapy for sepsis and septic shock has been suggested to reduce MODS severity and mortality. This intervention, which might be named "metabolic resuscitation", would lead to improved mitochondrial activity afforded by pharmacological and nutritional agents. Of particular interest in this therapeutic strategy is thiamine, a water-soluble vitamin that plays an essential role in cellular energy metabolism. Critical illness associated with hypermetabolic states may predispose susceptible individuals to the development of thiamine deficiency, which is not usually identified by clinicians as a source of lactic acidosis. The protective effects of thiamine on mitochondrial function may justify supplementation in septic patients at risk of deficiency. Perspectives of supplementation with other micronutrients (ascorbic acid, tocopherol, selenium and zinc) and potential metabolic resuscitators [coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), cytochrome oxidase (CytOx), L-carnitine, melatonin] to target sepsis-induced mitochondrial dysfunction are also emerging. Metabolic resuscitation may probably be a safe and effective strategy in the treatment of septic shock in the future. However, until then, preliminary investigations should be replicated in further researches for confirmation. Better identification of groups of patients presumed to benefit clinically by a certain intervention directed to "mitochondrial resuscitation" are expected to increase driven by genomics and metabolomics.

Hypophosphatemia was common in the first 10 days of ICU hospitalization and was associated with the diagnosis of respiratory disease, use of dopamine, and malnutrition. These factors should be taken into account during clinical follow up of critically ill children, especially when these conditions are found together.