The Prevalence of Malnutrition and Its Relationship with Clinical Outcomes Among Critically Ill Children in PICU and PHDU

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Malnutrition is a significant concern in critically ill pediatric patients, as it is associated with increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, and higher mortality rates. The aim of this study is to determine the nutritional status of patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the Paediatric High Dependency Unit (PHDU) of a teaching hospital, and to investigate the effects of malnutrition on clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, and patients admitted between March 2024 and September 2024 to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Pediatric High Dependency Unit (PHDU) were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The prevalence of malnutrition and its association with clinical outcomes, including length of hospital stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality risk, were evaluated and assessed.  RESULTS: This study involved 51 patients aged between 6 months to 17 years old. The prevalence of malnutrition was 54.9%, with the most common forms being underweight (31.4%), followed  by stunting (25.5%), wasting (17.6%), and thinness (7.8%). Moreover, this study identified a significant association between undernutrition and longer hospitalisation (P=0.051). However, no significant association was found between undernutrition and the duration of mechanical ventilation (P=0.154) or the risk of mortality (P=0.866). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of undernutrition remains high among critically ill children, with the most prevalent forms being underweight, stunting, wasting and thinness. Undernourished children had prolonged hospitalisation, but there was no association with duration of mechanical ventilation and mortality risk.