The role of Chinese clinical pharmacists in parenteral nutrition for children using the Screening Tool Risk on Nutrititional Status and Growth (STRONGkids)

Background The abuse and deficiency of nutritional support coexist in China, and clinical pharmacists have responsibilities to promote the rational use of drugs. Objective Apply the Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth to observe the influence of parenteral nutrition on children with an incarcerated hernia and educate physicians to promote the rational use of parenteral nutrition. Setting Department of General Surgery of Nanjing children’s hospital. Method Patients were grouped according to the sores of Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth, and each group was then divided into subgroups according to receiving parenteral nutrition only (subgroup A) or no extra nutritional support (subgroup B). The clinical results were compared to ascertain whether parenteral nutrition was necessary, and the clinical pharmacists educated the physicians according to the results. One year later, the clinical results before and after education were compared. Main outcome measure Nutritional indicators (body weight, albumin, prealbumin, retinol binding protein), length of hospital stay after operation, hospitalization cost and incidence of adverse reactions. Results There were no significant differences in changes of nutritional indicators between the A and B subgroups of the score 1 and 2 groups. In the score 3 group, decreases of nutritional indicators were more pronounced in subgroup B than in subgroup A, and the length of hospital stay after operation was significantly shorter in subgroup A. The incidence of adverse reactions was significantly higher for those who received parenteral nutrition. One year after the clinical pharmacists educated the staff, the use of parenteral nutrition, hospitalization cost and incidence of adverse reactions significantly decreased. Conclusions Clinical pharmacists played an important role in improving the rational use of parenteral nutrition.