ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Pediatrica 2016 February;68(1):5-10

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Effects of nutrition intervention on the nutritional status and outcomes of pediatric patients with pneumonia

Wendi ZHOU ¹, Xiaofeng ZUO ², Jiaxin LI ¹, Zhiwei YU ³ ✉

¹ Department of Pediatrics Huai'an First People’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University Huai’an, Jiangsu Province, China; ² Department of Pediatrics Lianshui County People’s Hospital Lianshui, Jiangsu Province, China; ³ Department of Pediatric Respiration Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi Peoples Hospital Wuxi, Jiangsu, China

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the correlation between nutrient level and pneumonia via the analysis and intervention of nutrient levels in pediatric patients with pneumonia.
METHODS: Nutrient deficient children with pneumonia were randomized into intervention and non-intervention groups, and healthy children with the same age served as controls. Serum vitamin and trace element levels were determined. The nutrient levels, average hospital stay and nutrient deficiency rate were compared between groups.
RESULTS: The pneumonia group showed significantly higher rates of iron, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies than the control group. The serum vitamin D level in asthmatic pneumonia group was lower than that in non-asthmatic pneumonia group and control group. Serum zinc, iron and vitamin A levels in the pneumonia group distinctly increased after intervention therapy. After vitamin D supplementation, the serum vitamin D level in asthmatic pneumonia group was significantly improved. Children in the intervention group had shorter hospital stays than children in the non-intervention group, whose hospital stays were longer than pediatric patients with normal nutrient levels. However, the difference between the intervention and normal nutrient groups was insignificant.
CONCLUSION: Clinical nutrition intervention could improve the efficacy of pneumonia in pediatric patients and shorten hospital stay.