• Simone Brasil de Oliveira Iglesias, Heitor Pons Leite, Juliana Fernandez Santana e Meneses, and Werther Brunow de Carvalho.
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Loefgreen 1647, 04040-032, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
• Nutr Clin Pract. 2007 Apr 1;22(2):233-9.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to compare the differences between prescribed and delivered energy among critically ill children and to identify the factors that impede the optimal delivery of enteral nutrition in the first 5 days of nutrition support.MethodsIn a prospective cohort study, we evaluated 55 critically ill children aged 8.2 +/- 11.4 months (0-162.3 months), who were fed for > or =2 days through a gastric or postpyloric tube. The patients were followed from admission until day 10 of enteral nutrition. Prescribed and delivered energy were recorded daily and compared with each other and with the estimated basal metabolic rate (BMR). The Paediatric Index of Mortality 2 (PIM 2) was used to estimate illness severity.ResultsThe ratio of delivered:required energy was <90% in 55.7% of the enteral nutrition days. Low prescription was the main reason for not achieving the energy goal in the first 5 days of enteral nutrition. Discrepancies between prescribed and delivered: energy were attributable to interruptions in feeding caused by clinical instability, airway management, radiologic and surgical procedures, and accidental feeding tube removal. The other factors associated with the delivery of less than required energy were PIM 2 > or =15%, gastrointestinal complications, dialysis, and use of alpha-adrenergic vasoactive drugs. The latter was the only variable in multivariate analysis that was associated with not ultimately achieving energy goal.ConclusionsThe prescription and delivery of energy were not adequate in >50% of enteral nutrition days. The gap between the effective administration and energy requirements can be explained by both underprescription and underdelivery. Administration of vasoactive drugs was the only variable independently associated with a low energy supply.

19 keywords...

hide…