Nutritional and metabolic assessment of critically ill children

In a prospective study, with the objective of determining the metabolic profile, response to nutrient supply, and role of nutritional and metabolic assessment parameters in children admitted to a pediatric ICU, 11 patients in the age group 2-12 were studied. The assessment was carried out during the first 72 hours of admission, and again seven days later, and included the following parameters: caloric supply; nitrogen supply; prealbumin serum level; urinary urea nitrogen; nitrogen balance and creatinine-height index. The evolution of the parameters in the two stages of the study showed the following results: The urinary urea nitrogen median value at admission was 7.5 g/m² of corporeal surface, and did not present significant changes seven days later. There was a significant increase in caloric supply from 42.9 to 70,3 kcal/kg, and in nitrogen supply, from 4.7 to 10.2 g/m² of corporeal surface p 0.01 . The level of nitrogen balance rose from - 5.6 to 2.5 g/24h (p<0.03), and that of prealbumin, from 16.7 to 26.3 mg/dl (p