Abstract
We performed a prospective survey of PICU and W patients to compare changes in body composition over time. On admission and hospital day 3, we recorded weight (WT), midarm circumference (MAC), triceps skinfold thickness (TST), and therapeutic intervention score (TIS). Anthropometries were normalized as a percentage of the value for day 1 to minimize size and age effects. We compared WT, MAC, TST, and TIS score on day 1 with day 3 by 2-way ANOVA. P≤0.05 was considered significant. Values are expressed as mean ± SD.
By Least Significant Difference (P ≤0.05), day 3 PICU TST is less than both day 1 PICU and day 3 W TST. These results suggest that a rapid loss of fat stores occurs in PICU but not in W patients over time (P=0.04). TIS scores were higher in PICU vs W patients on both days (P=0.045). Decline in fat stores may be related to severity of illness or to deficient provision of supplemental nutrition. We can make no conclusions about differences in premorbid nutritional state between PICU and W patients.
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Sanfilippo, D., Theodorou, A., Alvarez, D. et al. CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION IN PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (PICU) VS WARD (W) PATIENTS. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 206 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00242
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00242