Malnutrition in pediatric surgical patients

Introduction. To improve the quality of surgical treatment and prevent postoperative complications, there is needed an integrated multidisciplinary professional approach including a combination of nutritional support with therapeutic methods and psychological assistance that reduces stress throughout the perioperative period. Clinical guidelines and standards to manage the patients on this issue in pediatric surgical hospitals have not been developed. Objectives: to assess the nutritional risk of malnutrition and nutritional status in children with surgical diseases, to elaborate algorithms for nutritional support over the pre- and postoperative periods. Materials and methods. The single center non-comparative study included sixty children aged from 1 month to 17 years 5 months, with diseases of the esophagus, intestine, and genitourinary system, were admitted for surgical treatment at the Research Institute of Pediatric Surgery of the Federal State Autonomous Institution «National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health» of the Ministry of Health of Russia. All patients underwent a nutritional risk screening according to a validated Russian version of the STRONGkids. Clinical and anamnestic data were analyzed. Anthropometric indices (Z-scores: weight/age, height/age, BMI/age) using the WHO AnthroPlus program (2009), and biochemical parameters (concentrations of C-reactive protein, total protein, albumin, prealbumin, transferrin) were evaluated. Results. A high nutritional risk at admission was established in more than half (57%) of patients, moderate — in 36% of patients, low — only in 7% of cases. Malnutrition (Z-score BMI/age from –1 to –3) was diagnosed in 26 (43%) patients, 58% of them suffered from diseases of the esophagus, 37% — the intestine pathology, and 36% of the genitourinary disorders. Conclusion. Nutritional risk screening and nutrition status assessment are necessary in all patients admitted to pediatric surgical hospitals for the timely appointment of adequate nutritional support, which will reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, and allow diminishing the length of the hospital stay.