title: Malnutrition in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients: Assessment, Prevalence, and Association to Adverse Outcomes.
abstract: Malnutrition is a frequent finding in pediatric health care settings in the form of undernutrition or excess body weight. Its increasing prevalence and impact on overall health status, which is reflected in the adverse outcomes, renders imperative the application of commonly accepted and evidence-based practices and tools by health care providers. Nutrition risk screening on admission and nutrition status evaluation are key points during clinical management of hospitalized pediatric patients, in order to prevent health deterioration that can lead to serious complications and growth consequences. In addition, anthropometric data based on commonly accepted universal growth standards can give accurate results for nutrition status. Both nutrition risk screening and nutrition status assessment are techniques that should be routinely implemented, based on commonly accepted growth standards and methodology, and linked to clinical outcomes. The aim of the present review was to address the issue of hospital malnutrition in pediatric settings in terms of prevalence, outline nutrition status evaluation and nutrition screening process using different criteria and available tools, and present its relationship with outcome measures. Key teaching points • Malnutrition-underweight or excess body weight-is a frequent imbalance in pediatric settings that affects physical growth and results in undesirable clinical outcomes. • Anthropometry interpretation through growth charts and nutrition screening are cornerstones for the assessment of malnutrition.To date no commonly accepted anthropometric criteria or nutrition screening tools are used in hospitalized pediatric patients. • Commonly accepted nutrition status and screening processes based on the World Health Organization's growth standards can contribute to the overall hospital nutrition care of pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Nutrition Laboratory "Christos Mantzoros", Nutrition & Dietetics Department, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , GREECE ;|b 4th Pediatric Department (A.G.-T.), 1st Pediatric Department (P.A.-S.) , Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , GREECE.
authors.forename: Efstratia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Daskalou
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Nutrition Laboratory "Christos Mantzoros", Nutrition & Dietetics Department, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , GREECE ;|b 4th Pediatric Department (A.G.-T.), 1st Pediatric Department (P.A.-S.) , Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , GREECE.
authors.forename: Assimina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galli-Tsinopoulou
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Nutrition Laboratory "Christos Mantzoros", Nutrition & Dietetics Department, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , GREECE ;|b 4th Pediatric Department (A.G.-T.), 1st Pediatric Department (P.A.-S.) , Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , GREECE.
authors.forename: Thomais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karagiozoglou-Lampoudi
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Nutrition Laboratory "Christos Mantzoros", Nutrition & Dietetics Department, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , GREECE ;|b 4th Pediatric Department (A.G.-T.), 1st Pediatric Department (P.A.-S.) , Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , GREECE.
authors.forename: Persefone
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Augoustides-Savvopoulou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: hospital; malnutrition; nutrition assessment; nutrition screening; pediatric patients