Bilateral Exchange: Enteral Nutrition Clinical Decision Making in Pediatric Surgery Patients

Evidence-based medicine guides clinical decision-making; however, promoting enteral nutrition has historically followed a dogmatic approach in which patients graduate from clear liquids to full liquids to a regular diet after return of bowel function. Enhanced recovery after surgery has demonstrated that early enteral nutrition initiation is associated with shorter hospital stays. We aimed to understand postoperative pediatric nutrition practices in Kenya and the United States.

We completed a prospective observational study of pediatric surgery fellows during clinical rounds in a pediatric referral center in Kenya (S4A) and one in the United States (Riley). Fellow-patient interactions were observed from postoperative day one to discharge or postoperative day 30, whichever happened first. Patient demographic, operative information, and daily observations including nutritional status were collected via REDCap.

We included 75 patients with 41 (54.7%) from Kenya; patients in Kenya were younger with 40% of patients in Kenya presenting as neonates. Median time to initiation and full enteral nutrition was shorter for the patients at Riley when compared to their counterparts at S4A. In the neonatal subgroup, patients at S4A initiated enteral nutrition sooner, but their hospital length of stays were not significantly different.

Studying current nutrition practices may guide early enteral nutrition protocols. Implementing these protocols, particularly in a setting where enteral nutrition alternatives are minimal, may provide evidence of success and overrule dogmatic nutrition advancement. Studying implementation of these protocols in resource-constrained areas, where patient length of stay is often related to socioeconomic factors, may identify additional benefits to patients.