Nutrition and Metabolism in PCICU
摘要
It is widely recognized that there is a high incidence of malnutrition among hospitalized children particularly with cardiac diseases. Multiple published studies demonstrated major nutritional imbalances preoperatively in patients with congenital heart diseases. Severe wasting (i.e., acute malnutrition) and failure to thrive are common in children with left to right shunt, increase in pulmonary blood flow and heart failure. Furthermore, feeding difficulties are known causes for poor weight gain after cardiac surgery. In this chapter, we discuss nutritional status of children with congenital heart diseases undergoing cardiac surgery. We discuss diagnostic measures and approach to optimize the nutritional status of children post-cardiac surgery.