title: Proposal for An Algorithm for Screening for Undernutrition in Hospitalized Children.
abstract: The prevalence of disease-related undernutrition in hospitalized children has not decreased significantly in the last decades in Europe. A recent large multicentric European study reported a percentage of underweight children ranging across countries from 4.0% to 9.3%. Nutritional screening has been put forward as a strategy to detect and prevent undernutrition in hospitalized children. It allows timely implementation of adequate nutritional support and prevents further nutritional deterioration of hospitalized children. In this article, a hands-on practical guideline for the implementation of a nutritional care program in hospitalized children is provided. The difference between nutritional status (anthropometry with or without additional technical investigations) at admission and nutritional risk (the risk of the need for a nutritional intervention or the risk for nutritional deterioration during hospital stay) is the focus of this article. Based on the quality control circle principle of Deming, a nutritional care algorithm, with detailed instructions specific for the pediatric population was developed and implementation in daily practice is proposed. Further research is required to prove the applicability and the merit of this algorithm. It can, however, serve as a basis to provide European or even wider guidelines.
authors: *Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel †Vakgroep Pediatrie, Faculteit Geneeskunde en Farmacie, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels ‡Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Tivoli, La Louviere §Academic Hospital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels ||Department of Pediatrics, Jessa hospital, Hasselt ¶Department of Pediatrics, ZNA Paloa Kinderziekenhuis, Antwerpen #Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven **Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Koen
authors: K
authors: Huysentruyt
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: De Schepper
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Bontems
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Alliet
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Peeters
authors: Mathieu
authors: M
authors: Roelants
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Van Biervliet
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Hauser
authors: Yvan
authors: Y
authors: Vandenplas
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005060:Europe; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018529:Nutritional Support; D015995:Prevalence