Monitoring clinical and economic outcomes in pediatric nutrition support: An 8 year prospective study

Outcomes in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Before and After the Implementation of a Nutrition Support Team

“…This was probably because the PICU physicians and surgeons would be more concerned about introducing EN, especially in cases of abdominal surgery, when there was a trend to wait for bowel sounds to identify the return of intestinal motility, as shown by studies in adult patients. 13,49 Despite the increase in the percentage of time receiving EN and reduction of PN in the medical patients, there was no significant difference in the duration of mechanical ventilation or PICU-LOS over the periods studied, contrary to that shown by Bines et al, 16 who reported a reduction of 57 to 27 days and 516 hours to 367 hours, respectively, among pediatric patients after introduction of NST.…”

“…Most demonstrate that the maintenance of a nutrition support team (NST) improves the monitoring and adaptation of nutrient supply, with a concomitant decrease in the use of PN and costs. 15,16 In March 1993, a continuous education program in nutrition support was started at the Hospital Sã o Paulo pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), with intensification of its activities during the following years. It was based on the learning response of the residents and on the patients' characteristics and clinical course while aggregating scientific progress in nutrition support.…”