This scientific note presents preliminary developments of the Covid-19 pandemic on unemployment, poverty, and hunger in Brazil. The data on unemployment rate, un employment insurance claims, contingent of families in extreme poverty, and food insecurity was collected in government information systems, research published by public agencies, scientific articles, and in news portals. In an upward trajectory since 2015, the increase in unemployment and the number of families in extreme poverty was exacerbated after the pandemic began, drastically reducing the purchase power and access to healthy and adequate food, affecting mainly women and the populations of the Northern and Northeastern regions. Between January and September 2020, there was a 3% increase in unemployment in Brazil and, in October 2020, there were almost 485 thousand more families in extreme poverty compared to January of the same year. There are inadequate and insufficient responses from the Brazilian government to the articulated set of problems. The Covid-19 pandemic is a new element that potentiates the recent increase in hunger in Brazil, which occurs in parallel with the dismantling of the Food and Nutrition Security programs and the expansion of fiscal austerity measures, started with the political-economic crisis in 2015. There is an urgent need to recover the centrality of the agenda to fight hunger in Brazil, associated with the development of more robust contributions on the impact of the pandemic on the phenomena of poverty and hunger.

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Background Early identification of patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at risk of nutritional status (NS) deterioration and poor outcomes is desirable. We aimed to identify factors associated with NS deterioration and prolonged PICU stay. Methods Prospective cohort study in eight Brazilian PICUs with children <18 years with a PICU stay >72h. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify the clinical, laboratory, and nutrition variables at admission that were associated with outcomes. NS deterioration was defined as the reduction in weight‐for‐age, body mass index–for‐age or mid‐upper arm circumference–for‐age z‐score ≥1 during PICU stay. Prolonged PICU stay was defined as ≥13 days. Results We enrolled 363 eligible patients, median age 11.3 months (interquartile range:3.1–45.6) and 46% had at least one complex chronic condition (CCC). NS deterioration was observed in 23% of participants and was associated with CCC (odds ratio [OR]:2.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.44–5.09), after adjusting for severity risk score, leukocyte count, obesity, and PICU site. Prolonged PICU stay was associated with age <2 years (OR:1.95; 95%CI:1.03–3.66), fluid overload (>10%) over the first 72h (OR:2.66; 95%CI:1.50–4.73), and hypoalbuminemia (<3.0 g/dL) (OR:2.05; 95%CI:1.12–3.76), after adjusting for CCC, severity risk score, undernutrition, early nutrition therapy, and PICU site. Conclusions CCC at admission was associated with NS deterioration. Age <2 years, fluid overload, and hypoalbuminemia at PICU admission were associated with prolonged PICU stay. These factors must be further evaluated as part of an admission nutrition screening tool for critically ill children.

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Background Loss of muscle mass in critically ill children can negatively impact outcomes. The aims of this study were to conduct a pilot randomized control trial (RCT) to examine the difference in protein delivery and nitrogen balance in critically ill children with enteral protein supplementation vs controls. We also aimed to assess the feasibility, safety, and tolerance of the pilot trial. Methods This is a 3‐arm RCT in critically ill children eligible for enteral nutrition (EN) therapy. Patients were randomized to 1 of the 3 groups: (1) control (routine EN), (2) polymeric protein module added to EN to reach protein goal by day 4, or (3) oligomeric protein supplementation. Demographics, clinical characteristics, nutrition status, and daily nutrition intake variables were recorded. Protein delivery, nitrogen balance, feasibility variables, and rate of adverse events were the outcomes. Results After screening 286 consecutive patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit over 11 months, we enrolled and randomized 25 patients. Twenty‐two patients (88% of the enrolled) completed the study procedures. Significantly higher protein prescription and actual protein intake within the first 5 days was achieved in the intervention groups, compared with the control group. Nitrogen balance was obtained in 15 patients. There was no significant difference between the groups for the rate of adverse effects and clinical outcomes. Conclusion In our pilot trial, protein supplementation was safe and well tolerated. Our preliminary results suggest that a larger RCT is potentially feasible, with some modifications of the entry criteria. Trial enrollment was low, likely due to restrictive entry criteria.

Persistent inflammation, immunosuppression and catabolism syndrome (PICS) in critically ill children is associated with clinical outcomes: a prospective longitudinal study.

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Introduction: Pediatric critically ill patients admitted for surgical reasons may differ from medical patients. However, guidelines for nutritional therapy (NT) include both medical and surgical patients. The aim of this study was to describe the NT practices of critically ill children admitted for medical and surgical reasons. Methods: Prospective cohort study conducted with critically ill children, between 1 month and 15 years old, admitted in a pediatric intensive care unit. Patients who were discharged within the first 48 hours, died within the first 72 hours or who received oral NT were excluded. Clinical and demographic were collected. Nutritional status was assessed at admission and NT data from the first 7 days was collected. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were applied and p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 201 patients were included, with a median age of 2.2 years, 154 (76.6%) were admitted for medical reasons and 47 (23.4%) for surgical reasons. Compared to medical patients, surgical patients had a higher median age (5.0 vs. 1.4 years; p = 0.035), lower Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 (1.1 vs. 6.1%; p<0.001) and higher prevalence of complex chronic diseases (17 vs. 47%; p<0.001). There was no difference regarding nutritional status. Surgical patients showed higher median time for NT initiation (22.3 vs. 16.3 h; p=0.016), higher prevalence of parenteral nutrition (31.6 vs. 15.1%; p=0.019), lower energy (24.5 vs. 35.9 kcal/kg/d; p=0.003) and protein (0.82 vs. 0.99 g/kg/d; p=0.026) intake and higher prevalence of underfeeding (82.6 vs. 50%; p<0.001). There was a higher prevalence of abdominal distension (36.2 vs. 21.4%; p=0.04) and constipation (38.3 vs. 16.9%; p=0.002) in surgical patients. Conclusion: Surgical patients were older, less severe, had longer time for NT initiation, higher prevalence of underfeeding and abdominal distension in the first 7 days. NT protocols should be individualized according to the reason for hospitalization.