Ernährungsmanagement bei mangelernährten Kindern in der häuslichen Pflege - Empfehlungen aus einer settingspezifischen Leitlinie.

Abstract

Nutritional management in malnourished children and adolescents in home care - recommendations from a setting-specific evidence-based guideline Abstract. Background: Malnutrition in children is an underestimated phenomenon that is frequently unrecognized and therefore not adequately treated. If the treatment is inadequate, malnutrition can lead to a variety of negative consequences for the childrens' development. Corresponding guidelines for malnutrition for pediatric nursing in home care settings are lacking. Aim: The aim of this paper is to present the nutritional management of malnourished children, which was elaborated in the course of developing a setting-specific guideline for pediatric home care. Methods: The developed guideline is based on the approach described by the Scientific Medical Societies Working Group. This approach encompasses a) forming a group of experts, b) defining clinical questions, c) searching the literature, d) evaluating and synthesizing the literature, and d) formulating recommendations. Parents were included to rate the relevance of the recommendations. Results: The nutrition management involves a detailed nutritional assessment, subsequent oral, enteral or parenteral interventions, weight monitoring and a re-assessment of the child's nutritional status. Nurses, as well as parents/legal guardians, play essential roles in planning and implementing nutrition management in the home care setting. Conclusions: The use of the guideline may contribute to the early detection of causes for malnutrition and adequate multidisciplinary treatment of children with suspected or identified malnutrition in the home care setting.