Increased nutrition risk is associated with a prolonged negative conversion of viral RNA in children and adolescents with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the time to negative conversion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in children and adolescents, with particular reference to nutrition risk assessment on admission. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted in a sentinel hospital for novel coronavirus in Quanzhou, China. The study population comprised children and adolescents with COVID-19 admitted to the isolation wards between March 25 and April 12, 2022. Based on the Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Paediatrics (STAMP), nutrition risk screening was performed within 24 h of admission. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify independent factors for the time to negative viral RNA conversion. RESULTS: A total of 185 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were included in this study. The median time to viral RNA conversion (from the first day of a positive nucleic acid test to the first day of consecutive negative results) was 15 days (IQR 12-18 days), ranging from 4 to 25 days. High nutrition risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.543, 95% CI: 0.334-0.881) and fever (HR: 0.663; 95% CI: 0.483-0.910) were independent factors influencing the negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. CONCLUSION: High nutrition risk and fever were independently associated with delayed viral clearance in children and adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection, so these factors should be considered during the treatment plans for infected children and adolescents.

Advances in muscle health and nutrition: A toolkit for healthcare professionals.

Low muscle mass and malnutrition are prevalent conditions among adults of all ages, with any body weight or body mass index, and with acute or chronic conditions, including COVID-19. This article synthesizes the latest research advancements in muscle health and malnutrition, and their impact on immune function, and clinical outcomes. We provide a toolkit of illustrations and scientific information that healthcare professionals can use for knowledge translation, educating patients about the importance of identifying and treating low muscle mass and malnutrition. We focus on the emerging evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in the context of aging and disease, as well as the cross-talk between skeletal muscle and the immune system. We address the importance of myosteatosis as a component of muscle composition, and discuss direct, indirect and surrogate assessments of muscle mass including ultrasound, computerized tomography, deuterated creatine dilution, and calf circumference. Assessments of muscle function are also included (handgrip strength, and physical performance tests). Finally, we address nutrition interventions to support anabolism, reduce catabolism, and improve patient outcomes. These include protein and amino acids, branched-chain amino acids, with a focus on leucine; ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB), vitamin D; n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), polyphenols, and oral nutritional supplements. We concluded with recommendations for clinical practice and a call for action on research focusing on evaluating the impact of body composition assessments on targeted nutrition interventions, and consequently their ability to improve patient outcomes.

Validating Food Security Measurement in a Pediatric Nutrition Screening Tool (Nutristep (R))

The Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Preschooler (NutriSTEP (R)) is a 17-item nutrition-screening tool administered to parents. This study validated the food security question in the NutriSTEP (R) against the Household Food Security Survey (HESS) and the Hunger Vital Sign. Parents (n = 55) of Head Start preschoolers answered an online survey that included the NutriSTEP (R), the Hunger Vital Sign, and the HFSS. All of the tools identified over 40% of the participants experienced food insecurity. The food security question in the NutriSTEP (R) had 82.1% sensitivity and 94.1% specificity when compared against the HFSS reference standard. The NutriSTEP (R) adequately identified children with food insecurity.

Predicting Hospital Length of Stay at Admission Using Global and Country-Specific Competing Risk Analysis of Structural, Patient, and Nutrition-Related Data from nutritionDay 2007-2015.

Hospital length of stay (LOS) is an important clinical and economic outcome and knowing its predictors could lead to better planning of resources needed during hospitalization. This analysis sought to identify structure, patient, and nutrition-related predictors of LOS available at the time of admission in the global nutritionDay dataset and to analyze variations by country for countries with n > 750. Data from 2006-2015 (n = 155,524) was utilized for descriptive and multivariable cause-specific Cox proportional hazards competing-risks analyses of total LOS from admission. Time to event analysis on 90,480 complete cases included: discharged (n = 65,509), transferred (n = 11,553), or in-hospital death (n = 3199). The median LOS was 6 days (25th and 75th percentile: 4-12). There is robust evidence that LOS is predicted by patient characteristics such as age, affected organs, and comorbidities in all three outcomes. Having lost weight in the last three months led to a longer time to discharge (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.89; 99.9% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.85-0.93), shorter time to transfer (HR 1.40; 99.9% CI 1.24-1.57) or death (HR 2.34; 99.9% CI 1.86-2.94). The impact of having a dietician and screening patients at admission varied by country. Despite country variability in outcomes and LOS, the factors that predict LOS at admission are consistent globally.

The validity of the global leadership initiative on malnutrition criteria for diagnosing malnutrition in critically ill patients with COVID-19: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We conducted the present study to investigate the nutritional status of critically ill COVID-19 patients and validate the GLIM criteria with respect to the SGA. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, 109 ICU patients were assessed for malnutrition based on GLIM and SGA criteria. The relation between nutrition assessment tools and duration of hospitalization and mortality were also evaluated. The sensitivity and specificity of GLIM criteria concerning the detection of malnutrition was assessed based on the area under the curve. RESULTS: Malnutrition, according to the SGA and GLIM criteria, was found in 68 (62.4%) and 66 (61.5%) of our subjects. There was an optimal agreement between the GLIM criteria and the SGA criteria regarding malnutrition diagnosis (K = 0.85, P < 0.001). The area under curve for the GLIM was stratified based on the SGA results and was 0.927 (95% CI: 0.868-0.985) with a sensitivity and specificity of 92% and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition is frequently observed in critically ill COVID-19 patients. GLIM criteria is a valid tool and has a strong association with mortality and longer duration of ICU stay.