Nutrition provision in Australian and New Zealand PICUs: A prospective observational cohort study (ePICUre).

OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this study was to describe nutrition provision in Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), including mode of nutrition and adequacy of enteral nutrition (EN) to PICU day 28. Secondary aims were to determine the proportion of children undergoing dietetics assessment, the average time to this intervention, and the methods for estimation of energy and protein requirements. METHODS: This observational study was conducted in all ANZ tertiary-affiliated specialist PICUs. All children ≤18 y of age admitted to the PICU over a 2-wk period and remaining for ≥48 h were included. Data were collected on days 1 to 7, 14, 21, and 28 (unless discharged prior). Data points included oral intake, EN and parenteral nutrition support, estimated energy and protein adequacy, and dietetics assessment details. RESULTS: We enrolled 141 children, of which 79 were boys (56%) and 84 were <2 y of age (60%). Thirty children (73%) received solely EN on day 7 with documented energy and protein targets for 22 (73%). Of these children, 14 (64%) received <75% of their estimated requirements. A dietetics assessment was provided to 80 children (57%), and was significantly higher in those remaining in the PICU beyond the median length of stay (41% in patients staying ≤4.6 d versus 72% in those staying >4.6 d; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study of nutrition provision across ANZ PICUs identified important areas for improvement, particularly in EN adequacy and nutrition assessment. Further research to optimize nutrition provision in this setting is urgently needed.

Dietitian and nutrition-related practices and resources in Australian and New Zealand PICUs: A clinician survey.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations to facilitate evidence-based nutrition provision for critically ill children exist and indicate the importance of nutrition in this population. Despite these recommendations, it is currently unknown how well Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are equipped to provide nutrition care. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this project were to describe the dietitian and nutrition-related practices and resources in ANZ PICUs. METHODS: A clinician survey was completed as a component of an observational study across nine ANZ PICUs in June 2021. The online survey comprised 31 questions. Data points included reporting on dietetics resourcing, local feeding-related guidelines and algorithms, nutrition screening and assessment practices, anthropometry practices, and indirect calorimetry (IC) device availability and local technical expertise. Data are presented as frequency (%), mean (standard deviation), or median (interquartile range). RESULTS: Survey responses were received from all nine participating sites. Dietetics staffing per available PICU bed ranged from 0.01 to 0.07 full-time equivalent (median: 0.03 [interquartile range: 0.02-0.04]). Nutrition screening was established in three (33%) units, all of which used the Paediatric Nutrition Screening Tool. Dietitians consulted all appropriate patients (or where capacity allowed) in six (66%) units and on a request or referral basis only in three (33%) units. All units possessed a local feeding guideline or algorithm. An IC device was available in two (22%) PICUs and was used in one of these units. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to describe the dietitian and nutrition-related practices and resources of ANZ PICUs. Areas for potential improvement include dietetics full-time equivalent, routine nutrition assessment, and access to IC.

REstrictive versus StandarD FlUid Management in Mechanically Ventilated ChildrEn Admitted to PICU: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial (REDUCE-1).

INTRODUCTION: Intravenous fluid therapy is the most common intervention in critically ill children. There is an increasing body of evidence questioning the safety of high-volume intravenous fluid administration in these patients. To date, the optimal fluid management strategy remains unclear. We aimed to test the feasibility of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial comparing a restrictive with a standard (liberal) fluid management strategy in critically ill children. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Multicentre, binational pilot, randomised, controlled, open-label, pragmatic trial. Patients <18 years admitted to paediatric intensive care unit and mechanically ventilated at the time of screening are eligible. Patients with tumour lysis syndrome, diabetic ketoacidosis or postorgan transplant are excluded. INTERVENTIONS: 1:1 random assignment of 154 individual patients into two groups-restrictive versus standard, liberal, fluid strategy-stratified by primary diagnosis (cardiac/non-cardiac). The intervention consists of a restrictive fluid bundle, including lower maintenance fluid allowance, limiting fluid boluses, reducing volumes of drug delivery and initiating diuretics or peritoneal dialysis earlier. The intervention is applied for 48 hours postrandomisation or until discharge (whichever is earlier). ENDPOINTS: The number of patients recruited per month and proportion of recruited to eligible patients are feasibility endpoints. New-onset acute kidney injury and the incidence of clinically relevant central venous thrombosis are safety endpoints. Fluid balance at 48 hours after randomisation is the efficacy endpoint. Survival free of paediatric intensive care censored at 28 days is the clinical endpoint. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was gained from the Children's Health Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/21/QCHQ/77514, date: 1 September 2021), and University of Zurich (2021-02447, date: 17 March 2023). The trial is registered with the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621001311842). Open-access publication in high impact peer-reviewed journals will be sought. Modern information dissemination strategies will also be used including social media to disseminate the outcomes of the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12621001311842. PROTOCOL VERSION/DATE: V5/23 May 2023.