title: Anthropometric nutritional assessment of critically ill hospitalized children.
abstract: In a prospective study, the nutritional status was evaluated in 46 consecutive admissions to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, using anthropometric parameters. About 65% of the patients presented malnutrition on admission, with predominance of the chronic form. The mortality rate was greater in the malnourished (20 versus 12.5%) and chronic malnutrition was associated with a higher incidence of infection (42%). There was a fall in channel of percentile for weight-for-height in 36% of the patients evaluated at the final follow up. These results suggest that a significant number of patients are at nutritional risk at the time of hospital admission, and there is an association between nutritional status and hospital course. The anthropometric nutritional evaluation is a simple an reproducible method, and a valuable parameter for an objective nutritional assessment of the critically ill child. Therefore, it should be performed on admission and follow up of hospitalized children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Isatugo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sawaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fisberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000150:complications*