Cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents with end stage renal disease.

Objectives: To evaluate cardiovascular involvement in children and adolescents with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and to characterize the main risk factors associated with this outcome.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of 69 children and adolescents at renal transplantation and 33 healthy individuals matched by age and gender. The study outcomes were left ventricular mass z-score (LVMZ) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT).

What are the factors that influence the attainment of satisfactory energy intake in pediatric intensive care unit patients receiving enteral or parenteral nutrition?

Objective: Children admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are at risk of inadequate energy intake. Although studies have identified factors contributing to an inadequate energy supply in critically ill children, they did not take into consideration the length of time during which patients received their estimated energy requirements after having achieved a satisfactory energy intake. This study aimed to identify factors associated with the non-attainment of estimated energy requirements and consider the time this energy intake is maintained.

Malnutrition as an independent predictor of clinical outcome in critically ill children.

Objective: To determine the nutritional status of a cohort of children admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) and to assess the effect of malnutrition as an independent risk factor affecting outcome in this patient group.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study, 385 children admitted to the ICU of a teaching hospital over a 2-y period were assessed for nutritional status at admission and clinical outcome. The outcome variables were 30-d mortality, length of ICU stay, and length of mechanical ventilation.

Hypophosphatemia in children hospitalized within an intensive care unit.

The aims of this study were to estimate the occurrence of hypophosphatemia and to identify potential risk factors and outcome measures associated with this disturbance in children admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit. Data concerning 42 children admitted consecutively to 1 pediatric intensive care unit over a 1-year period were examined. Serum phosphorus levels were measured on the third day of admission, where levels below 3.

Hypophosphatemia in critically ill children.

The purpose of this paper is to review clinical studies on hypophosphatemia in pediatric intensive care unit patients with a view to verifying prevalence and risk factors associated with this disorder. We searched the computerized bibliographic databases Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and LILACS to identify eligible studies. Search terms included critically ill, pediatric intensive care, trauma, sepsis, infectious diseases, malnutrition, inflammatory response, surgery, starvation, respiratory failure, diuretic, steroid, antiacid therapy, mechanical ventilation.