More training and awareness are needed to improve the recognition of undernutrition in hospitalised children. (27th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huysentruyt, Koen; Goyens, Philippe; Alliet, Philippe; Bontems, Patrick; Van Hautem, Hilde; Philippet, Pierre; Vandenplas, Yvan; De Schepper, Jean
• Is Part Of: Acta pædiatrica. Volume 104:Number 8(2015:Aug.)
• Page Start: 801
• Page End: 807
• Publication Date: 2015-04-27
• Subjects: Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pediatrics; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/apa.13014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0803-5253

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="apa13014-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="apa13014-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>Reports suggest that 10% of hospitalised children in Europe are undernourished. We investigated whether nutritional screening tools (NST) were used in Belgian secondary‐level hospitals, examined strategies for detecting undernutrition and identified barriers preventing the systematic management of undernutrition.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa13014-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>A nationwide questionnaire‐based survey of paediatric departments in Belgian secondary‐level hospitals was carried out from September 2013 to February 2014. Respondents were dived into French‐speaking (Walloon + Brussels) and Dutch‐speaking (Flemish) departments.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa13014-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>We received replies from 71 of the 97 (73.2%) departments. Half of the departments – 39.5% Flemish speaking and 71.4% Walloon speaking – carried out nutritional screening. Undernutrition was identified by measuring weight and length or height (92.7% of cases), clinical appraisal (74.7%), mid‐upper arm circumference and/or skin fold thickness (19.7%). There was no protocol for undernutrition in many Flemish (60.5%)‐ and Walloon (28.6%)‐speaking departments. Reasons given for not screening were as follows: lack of training (46.9%), ignorance of NST (42.2%) and lack of time (29.7%).</p> </sec> <sec id="apa13014-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Half of the paediatric departments in Belgian secondary‐level hospitals did not carry out nutritional screening, and differences in current practices and attitudes may be due to cultural and/or educational differences.</p> </sec> </abstract>