ABSTRACT
Background: Identification of children at risk of malnutrition is not easily achieved in hospital settings.
Aims: To assess the merits of using the Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional status and Growth (STRONG kids) as a nutrition screening tool in hospitalized children aged < 3 years and correlate it with the severity of their nutritional derangements.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 children aged < 3 years admitted to the Childrens Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. STRONG kids score was used to assess the risk for nutritional derangements and World Health Organization growth charts were used to define underweight, wasted and stunted patients upon admission and discharge.
Results: According to STRONGkids score, 19.6% of patients were low risk, 42.6% were moderate risk and 37.8% were high risk. Out of the enrolled patients, 62.4% were underweight, 58.4% were stunted and 57.8% were wasted. Among the 66 patients with severe wasting, nutritional status improved in 6.06% while deterioration was observed in 13.0% of the moderately wasted patients. STRONGkids score was worse among those who deteriorated, which together with its significant positive correlation with the duration of hospital stay, emphasized that STRONGkids score can be a predictive tool.
Conclusions: The use of STRONGkids screening tool can ensure early identification of children vulnerable to malnutrition, ensuring prompt interventions that may contribute to overall improvements in patient care, as well as shortening hospitalization period
ABSTRACT
Background: the treatment of cancer is associated with nausea and vomiting, oral mucositis, constipation, xerostomia and diarrhea and weight loss, additionally; chemotherapeutic agents promote inflammatory changes in the gut, intestinal necrosis, and anaerobic conditions, allowing proliferation of Clostridium Difficile. Honey, as a natural honeybee product, has antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory and anticancer effects. Honey can fight microbial infection by its immuno-activating, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic activity
Objectives: the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of honey supplementation on frequency of Clostridium Difficile infection [CDI] and gastrointestinal complications in pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy
Design: a cross sectional study conducted on 40 patients with malignancy recruited from Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University, Oncology Unit and Clinic, Cairo, Egypt in the period from December 2015 to December 2016. Patients were divided into two groups; group I [25 patients] received honey in the dose of 2gm/kg 3 times dailyfor 1month] while group II [15 patients] did not receive honey. All the studied patients were subjected to medical history and clinical examination, with special emphasis on gastrointestinal complication including oral mucositis, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. Follow up was done for weight, height z score, gastrointestinal complications and any adverse events. Stool analysis, culture, C difficle toxin A, B by ELISA was done to all patients at baseline and repeated to patients receiving honey at week 4 of supplementation. Main outcome measure frequency of CDI, gastrointestinal complication, febrile neutropenia
Results: the frequency of C difficle was 8% [2], the first case was 9 years old patient with ALL [50%] and the other 11 years old patient with Burkitts lymphoma both were diagnosed by positive stool culture and positive stool ELISA for toxin A, B. gastrointestinal complications were significantly less and improved in the supplemented group and mean of hemoglobin significant increase in group 1
Conclusion: the frequency of CDI in children with cancer 8% diagnosed by stool culture and toxin A, B study in stool. Honey improved the oral mucositis and different GIT complications associated with chemotherapy