Short-Term Nutritional Support for Infants With Unrestricted Ventricular Septal Defects to Promote Postoperative...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Nutritional Science
• Surgical Recovery

Background:

• Unrestricted ventricular septal defects (uVSD) are congenital heart conditions requiring surgical intervention.
• Preoperative nutritional status is a critical factor influencing surgical outcomes in pediatric patients.
• Optimizing nutrition before surgery can potentially mitigate risks and improve recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a 2-week nutritional support intervention on preoperative nutritional status.
• To evaluate the effect of this nutritional support on postoperative recovery metrics in infants with uVSD.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 35 infants with uVSD receiving 2 weeks of nutritional support (intervention group).
• Comparison with a control group of 38 infants with uVSD who did not receive the specific nutritional support.
• Assessment of preoperative nutritional markers (body weight, albumin, prealbumin, hemoglobin) and postoperative outcomes (ventilator time, ICU stay, discharge time).

Main Results:

• Infants in the intervention group demonstrated significantly higher preoperative body weight, albumin, prealbumin, and hemoglobin levels compared to the control group (P < 0.05).
• Postoperative outcomes were improved in the intervention group, with significantly shorter ventilator duration, intensive care unit (ICU) time, and hospital discharge time (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• A 2-week nutritional support regimen is effective in enhancing preoperative nutritional status for infants with uVSD.
• This nutritional intervention significantly promotes faster and better postoperative recovery in this patient population.