The Influence of Pediatric Nutrition Support Team on Hospitalized Pediatric Patients Receiving Parenteral Nutrition

Abstract

Purpose: Malnutrition is a common problem in hospitalized patients that can increase the risk of complications, including infections and length of hospitalization. Appropriate nutritional support is important, particularly in pediatric patients, because growth and development are closely related to the nutritional supply. This study examined the status of nutritional support for pediatric patients in general wards to determine if interventions of the pediatric nutrition support team (pNST) contribute to appropriate nutritional support and help improve their nutritional status. Methods: Between July 2016 and June 2017, all pediatric inpatients who received parenteral nutrition support at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital were recruited and divided into the NST group and non-NST group according to the activities of pNST. The nutritional status was assessed in all subjects, and the calories and proteins delivered through nutritional support in each group were calculated and then compared with the recommended requirements in pediatric patients. Results: The number of patients recruited was 174: 100 (57.5%) in the NST group and 74 (42.5%) in the non-NST group. Significantly more calories and protein were supplied in the NST group than the non-NST group in hospitalized children aged between four and 17 years (P＜0.05). In the non-NST group, the amounts of calories supplied were insufficient compared to the recommended requirements. The proportion of patients supplied with the appropriate number of calories was 60.0% in the NST group and 20.0% in the non-NST group (P＜0.001), and the proportion of cases supplied with the appropriate amount of protein was 87.0% in the NST group and 62.2% in the non-NST group (P＜0.001). Conclusion:Interventions of the pediatric nutrition support team contributed to the sufficient supply of calories and protein and the improvement of clinical outcomes in hospitalized children on parenteral nutrition therapy.