scholarly journals Use of body composition and phase angle analysis for the assessment of nutritional status and clinical outcomes in critically ill children

Author(s):  
Zi-Hong Xiong ◽  
Xue-Mei Zheng ◽  
Guo-Ying Zhang ◽  
Meng-Jun Wu ◽  
Yi Qu

Abstract BackgroundMalnutrition is highly prevalent in critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit .We aimed to investigate the efficiency of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measurements and phase angle (PhA) analysis for the assessment of nutritional risk and clinical outcomes in critically ill children.MethodsThis single-center observational study included patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of Chengdu Women’s and Children’s Central Hospital. All patients underwent anthropometric measurement in the first 24 h of admission and underwent BIA measurements within 3 days after the admission. The patients were classified into different groups based on body mass index (BMI) for age. Electronic hospital medical records were reviewed to collect clinical data for each patient. All the obtained data were analyzed by the statistics method.ResultsThere were 204 patients enrolled in our study, of which 32.4% were diagnosed with malnutrition. We found that BMI, arm muscle circumference, fat mass, and %body fat were lower in the group with poorer nutritional status (P < 0.05). Evident differences in the score of the Pediatric Risk of Mortality and the duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) among the three groups with different nutritional statuses were observed (P < 0.05). Patients in the severely malnourished group had the longest duration of MV. In the MV groups, there were significant differences (P < 0.05) in albumin level, PhA, and extracellular water/total body water (ECW/TBW ratio). The ECW/TBW ratio and the time for PICU stay had a weak degree of correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.375). PhA showed a weak degree of correlation with the duration time of medical ventilation (coefficient of correlation = 0.398).ConclusionBIA can be considered an alternative way to assess nutritional status in critically ill children. ECW/TBW ratio and PhA were correlated with PICU stay and duration time of medical ventilation, respectively.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
An Jacobs ◽  
Adrian Covaci ◽  
Govindan Malarvannan ◽  
Giulia Poma ◽  
Inge Derese ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim: Pediatric intensive care relies on plastic indwelling medical devices softened by phthalates. Phthalates leach into the circulation and concerns about toxicity were raised. Exceeding a certain threshold of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) exposure in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) has been associated with an attention deficit 4 years later (1). Moreover, DEHP and its metabolites have endocrine disrupting properties. Critically ill children reveal the non-thyroidal illness syndrome (2) and unexplained relatively low cortisol (3). Whether DEHP exposure in PICU has endocrine disruptive effects is unknown. We investigated whether DEHP exposure in the PICU, exceeding the previously identified “toxic” threshold for attention, is independently associated with thyroid- and HPA-axis alterations upon PICU discharge. Methods: In this preplanned secondary analysis of the PEPaNIC RCT (N=1440) (4), plasma DEHP metabolite concentrations (MEHP, 5OH-MEHP, 5cx-MEPP, 5oxo-MEHP) were quantified for all patients with a last PICU day sample (N=920). Minimal DEHP exposure was defined as the product of the total DEHP metabolite concentrations on the last PICU day and duration of PICU stay, with 0.551 µmol/L.days identified as “toxic” threshold (1). Serum TSH, total T4, total T3 and rT3 concentrations were quantified for patients with an available last day sample (N=913). For patients with a last day plasma sample and who did not receive corticosteroids (N=391), plasma ACTH, total cortisol, albumin and CBG concentrations were quantified and free cortisol calculated. Multivariable linear regression analyses, adjusted for baseline risk factors and for duration of PICU stay, assessed whether exceeding the previously determined threshold of toxic DEHP exposure was independently associated with the hormone levels on the last PICU day. Main results: Median total DEHP metabolite concentration was 0.101 (IQR 0.049 - 0.279) µmol/L on the last PICU day. Minimal DEHP exposure was 0.337 (IQR 0.161 - 0.880) µmol/l.days, and 328 patients (35.7%) exceeded the toxic threshold. Exceeding this threshold was independently associated with lower total T4 (P=0.002), total T3 (P=0.02) and total cortisol (P=0.001), and higher rT3 (P=0.01) concentrations on the last PICU day, but not with TSH, ACTH or free cortisol. Conclusion: Critically ill children had DHEP metabolites in plasma upon PICU discharge and more than a third were exposed to toxic levels. Toxic DEHP exposure was an independent contributor to the severity of the non-thyroidal illness phenotype and to lower cortisol upon PICU discharge. Future research should assess whether such endocrine-disruptive impact of DHEP exposure in the PICU plays a role in the long-term developmental legacy of critical illness in children. 1 Verstraete et al Intensive Care Med 2016 2 Jacobs et al Thyroid 2019 3 Jacobs et al Intensive Care Med 2019 4 Fivez et al N Engl J Med 2016


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blair R. L. Colwell ◽  
Cydni N. Williams ◽  
Serena P. Kelly ◽  
Laura M. Ibsen

Background Mobilization is safe and associated with improved outcomes in critically ill adults, but little is known about mobilization of critically ill children. Objective To implement a standardized mobilization therapy protocol in a pediatric intensive care unit and improve mobilization of patients. Methods A goal-directed mobilization protocol was instituted as a quality improvement project in a 20-bed cardiac and medical-surgical pediatric intensive care unit within an academic tertiary care center. The mobilization goal was based on age and severity of illness. Data on severity of illness, ordered activity limitations, baseline functioning, mobilization level, complications of mobilization, and mobilization barriers were collected. Goal mobilization was defined as a ratio of mobilization level to severity of illness of 1 or greater. Results In 9 months, 567 patient encounters were analyzed, 294 (52%) of which achieved goal mobilization. The mean ratio of mobilization level to severity of illness improved slightly but nonsignificantly. Encounters that met mobilization goals were in younger (P = .04) and more ill (P &lt; .001) patients and were less likely to have barriers (P &lt; .001) than encounters not meeting the goals. Complication rate was 2.5%, with no difference between groups (P = .18). No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions A multidisciplinary, multiprofessional, goal-directed mobilization protocol achieved goal mobilization in more than 50% of patients in this pediatric intensive care unit. Undermobilized patients were older, less ill, and more likely to have mobilization barriers at the patient and provider level.


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