Nutrition Section Position Statement and Clinical Practice Recommendations for Children Admitted to Intensive Care Unit

Children admitted to the intensive care unit are at risk of malnutrition, mainly due to chronic diseases they are suffering from. These patients require a different nutritional diet regimen from those in a normal or stable disease state due to change in metabolism under the stress of diseases.

According to the SIGN guideline based on evidence, first, articles matching our criteria were extracted from the literature, and then the strength of evidence was evaluated. Finally, a summary of statements consisting of details regarding the strength of evidence and recommendation level was reviewed by 12 experts, and two-round surveys were accomplished according to the Delphi method to reach a consensus.

Twenty-seven statements in 5 categories with strength of evidence, grade of recommendations, and expert opinions are summarized.

Rapid nutritional assessment, judging patients with malnutrition or at risk of malnutrition, fast intervention with early enteral nutrition, reaching the protein and energy goals under the supervision of an expert registered dietitian, and persistent monitoring with minimizing the time of fasting are some of the key components of proper nutrition management based on evidence found in the literature.