José Manuel Moreno-Villares

Malnutrition among hospitalized patients has clinical implications and is associated with adverse outcomes: depression of the immune system, impaired wound healing, muscle wasting, longer length of stay, higher costs and increased mortality. Although the rate of malnutrition in hospitalized children varies in different studies, it seems to be lower than in adult population. Nevertheless, this is a population that has a higher risk of developing malnutrition during hospital stay. There is a need to find the most suitable nutrition screening tool for pediatric patients. As a first step, we have performed a nationwide study on the prevalence of malnutrition on admission, in order to further evaluate the results of employing a screening tool (STAMP). The study is a multicenter, transversal study performed in 32 Spanish hospital between June and September 2011 in patients under 17 admitted to a the hospital longer than 48 hours. Weight, height and STAMP questionnaire were done on admission and repeated at day 7, 14 or at discharge. Nutritional status was classified according to Waterlow index for height and for weight. The study was approved by the Ethics Research Committee in each hospital and informed consent obtained prior to be included in the study. 991 patients were finally included. Mean age was 5.0 years (SD: 4.6), distributed uniformly among ages. Moderate to severe malnutrition was present in 7.8%, and overweight-obesity in 37.9%. We found a significant correlation between nutritional status and type of disease. There were no correlationship with age, or with plasmatic albumin levels. comments: This is the first nationwide study on the prevalence of malnutrition on admission in pediatric patients. Malnutrition in pediatric patients was present in around 8% of admissions, slightly inferior to other series. The most likely explanation is that the study included patients from different types of hospitals, mimicking real life conditions.

Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) has a key role in the management of permanent or transient intestinal failure in the pediatric patient. Although its use is not without complications. We review our experience since the beginning of the program in 1993. Longitudinal and retrospective study of the clinical records from 25 infants and children (11 boys, 14 girls) who received HPN in this period. If a patient received HPN in periods separated more than 3 months we consider a different episode. In this way, 32 episodes were described. Quantitative data are presented as mean or median and qualitative as frequency. Complications are presented as complication rate per 1,000 days of HPN. 16 patients started HPN younger than 1 year. Total length of HPN was 9,986 days, median 174 days (range 7 to 2,444 days). Main indication was short bowel syndrome (n = 6); motility disorders (n = 6); chronic diarrhea (n = 5), malnutrition (n = 3) and other causes (n = 5). 47 catheters were used; mean length 212.5 days, median 120 days (range: 7 to 930). Most of central venous catheters were tunnelled catheters (n = 42); subcutaneous ports (n=3) and in two cases periferically inserted central catheters (PICCS). Complication rate per 1,000 days of HPN was: 3.4 for catheter-related infections, 0.1 for obstruction; 0.9 for leakage, and 0.1 for accidental removal. Most common microorganisms were Staphylococcus coagulase negative (47%), Gram negative bacteria (21%), Staphylococcus aureus (15%), fungi (9%) and others in 9%. Parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease was present in 4 patients. 21 patients were weaned off HPN, 3 patients deceased because of underlying disease, 2 patients underwent intestinal transplantation, while 5 patients continue in the program. Every year two new patients enter in the program. 65% of patients were weaned off HPN. Infectious complications were the most frequent (rate 3.4 infections per 1,000 days of HPN). Mean length of HPN was 174 days, and 120 days for catheters.

Several years ago, it was recommended not to add vitamins or oligoelements to parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions and to administer them immediately after the addition of the micronutrients to avoid their decay. Nowadays, it has been observed that with multilayer bags, ternary mixtures and sunlight protection vitamins degradation is minimal. Daily intake of micronutrients is necessary in the critically ill, malnourished or long-term PN patients. Aiming at knowing the schedules of use of micronutrients in PN in Spanish hospitals and the way PN bags are prepared regarding the factors conditioning their stability, we undertook a telephone survey to the pharmacists in charge of PN at the different hospitals. We compared the data obtained with those from other surveys performed in 2001 and 2003. Pharmacists from 97 hospitals answered the questionnaire (answer rate 88%). The hospital sizes ranged 104-1728 beds. As compared to the data form preceding years, we observed a better adequacy to the current recommendations, although there are still 30% of the hospitals that administer micronutrients on an every other day basis independent of the clinical situation of the patients. In most of the hospitals, multilayer bags are used and/or sunlight protection and ternary mixtures. According to these results showing the different criteria for administering vitamins and oligoelements in PN solutions, it seems necessary to elaborate consensus documents that adapt to the reality of the diverse practices besides promoting the performance of well-designed clinical studies establishing the requirements under special clinical situations.

Standardization of clinical procedures has become a desirable objective in contemporary medical practice. To this effect, the Spanish Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SENPE) has endeavoured to create clinical practice guidelines and/or documents of consensus as well as quality standards in artificial nutrition. As a result, the SENPE´s Standardization Team has put together the "Document of Consensus in Enteral Access for Paediatric Nutritional Support" supported by the Spanish Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SEGHNP), the National Association of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery (ANECIPN), and the Spanish Society of Pediatric Surgery (SECP). The present publication is a reduced version of our work; the complete document will be published as a monographic issue. It analyzes enteral access options in the pediatric patient, reviews the levels of evidence and provides the team-members' experience. Similarly, it details general and specific indications for pediatric enteral support, current techniques, care guidelines, methods of administration and complications of each enteral access. The data published by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) and several European Societies has also been incorporated.

For any healthy individual, thirst is an appropriate sign to drink water, except for babies, sportsmen, and most of ill and elderly people. In these instances, it is convenient to schedule appropriate times to drink water since great demands and the physiological mechanisms that determine thirst in these situations may condition water unbalances with important consequences for health and the physical and intellectual performance. The human body has a number of mechanisms that allow keeping constant the water content by adjusting intakes and wastes. Water balance is determined by intake (consumed water, beverages, and water contained in foods) and wastes (urine, stools, the skin, and expired air from the lungs). Failure of these mechanisms and subsequent impairments in water balance may produce severe disarrangements that may threaten somebody's life. In the present document, we analyze the evidences regarding the factors conditioning water needs in the different life stages and physiological situations, as well as the consequences of water unbalance under different situations. A proper hydration may be achieved by feeding and the use of water and other liquids. Although water is the beverage by excellence and represents the ideal way of restoring the losses and get hydrated, we should be aware that, from the very beginning, we have sought other liquid sources with hydration properties. In the last decades we have increased the consumption of different beverages, with a proliferation of sugar-containing beverages. Since excessive sugar consumption has been related to obesity and other chronic conditions, it is evident that the use of these caloric beverages should be rationalized, especially in children. In this document all the considerations regarding hydration are presented and different recommendations are exposed.

To analyze the use of paediatric parenteral nutrition (PN) in a tertiary level hospital in Spain (1994-2008). The charts from infants and children receiving NP in 2008 were reviewed. Data were compared with those in 1994 and 2002. 120 patients received PN, 78 and 71 corresponding to 1.6%, 1.3% and 1.0% of total admissions in 2008, 2002 and 1994 respectively. When composition of PN was compared in the first day we found significant differences in energy and lipids; but not in volume, carbohydrate, or amino acid composition. Gastrointestinal surgery was the most common indication. Mean length was 11.0 ± 9.8 days (2008) to 15.2 ± 14.8 (1994) (p < 0.05). Complications were present in 24.8 patients (2008), 10.8% (2002) and 16.9 (1994). PN use increased along the study period, although mean length decreased. There were more complications in 2008 than in previous years.

This document summarizes the issues raised in a think-tank meeting held by professionals with expertise in pediatric Home Parenteral Nutrition. This nutritional technology enables patients to return home to their family and social environment, improves their quality of life and decreases health-care costs; however, it is complex and requires an experienced nutritional support team. Patient selection is normally made according to their underlying disease, the estimated duration of support and family and social characteristics. The patient''s family must agree to take on caregiver's responsibilities and should be able to perform treatment safely and effectively after receiving proper training from the nutritional support team. Close monitoring must be carried out to ensure tolerance and effectiveness of nutritional support, thereby avoiding complications. This nutritional treatment achieves, in most cases, recovery and intestinal adaptation in varying periods of time. In certain diseases, and when home parenteral nutrition becomes complicated, intestinal transplant may be recommendable, so referral to rehabilitation units and Intestinal Transplantation should be made early on.