Perioperative nutritional prehabilitation in malnourished children with congenital heart disease: A randomized...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Nutritional Science
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Malnutrition is common in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and worsens after surgery.
• Optimizing preoperative nutritional status is crucial for improving surgical outcomes in these vulnerable patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of 1-week versus 2-week perioperative nutritional prehabilitation programs.
• To assess the impact on growth and surgical outcomes in malnourished children with CHD.

Main Methods:

• Forty malnourished infants undergoing elective CHD surgery were randomized into 1-week or 2-week prehabilitation groups.
• Anthropometric parameters, feeding characteristics, and clinical outcomes (ventilation duration, ICU and hospital LOS) were recorded pre- and postoperatively.

Main Results:

• The 2-week group demonstrated superior weight-for-age z-scores and BMI both pre- and postoperatively, with greater postoperative weight gain.
• Patients in the 2-week group experienced shorter durations of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay (LOS), and total hospital LOS.

Conclusions:

• A 2-week nutritional prehabilitation program yields better anthropometric measurements and shorter postoperative recovery times (ICU LOS, hospitalization, mechanical ventilation) compared to a 1-week program.
• Preoperative nutritional status directly impacts ICU LOS and mechanical ventilation duration in pediatric CHD patients.