Welcome back to The Peds NP Acute Care Faculty series! This series was created and peer-reviewed by national leaders in acute care PNP education collaborating with one another to meet the needs of our current and future colleagues. In the push for competency-based education where faculty verify the skills of what a student can do, rather than their knowledge, our series focuses on the application of didactic content with a practical approach so that you can learn nuances of clinical skills before you reach the bedside.

This episode begins with a brief review of malnutrition and pediatric nutritional assessment in acute care settings. Next we begin a choose-your-own-nutrition adventure by asking a series of questions that aid in medical decision-making for which nutrition route is appropriate, and, if enteral feeding is best, then determines the type of tube indicated. A case-based discussion with examples helps you to apply the concepts to a complex scenario. Our next episode will focus on formula selection, the initiation of feeds, and assessment of tolerance.

Authors: Becky Carson, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC/AC, Jessica D. Murphy, DNP, CPNP-AC, CPHON, CNE, & Marian Malone, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC

References:

Bechtold, M. L., Brown, P. M., Escuro, A., Grenda, B., Johnston, T., Kozeniecki, M., Limketkai, B. N., Nelson, K. K., Powers, J., Ronan, A., Schober, N., Strang, B. J., Swartz, C., Turner, J., Tweel, L., Walker, R., Epp, L., & Malone, A. (2022). When is enteral nutrition indicated? Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 46(7), 1470–1496. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpen.2364

Becker, P., Carney, L. N., Corkins, M. R., Monczka, J., Smith, E., Smith, S. E., Spear, B. A., & White, J. V. (2014). Consensus statement of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics/American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 30(1), 147–161. https://doi.org/10.1177/0884533614557642

Green Corkins, K. (2015). Nutrition‐focused physical examination in pediatric patients. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 30(2), 203–209. https://doi.org/10.1177/0884533615572654

Hess, L., & Crossen, J. (2008). Pediatric Nutrition Handbook (3rd ed.). Cincinnati Children’s.

Mehta, N. M., Skillman, H. E., Irving, S. Y., Coss-Bu, J. A., Vermilyea, S., Farrington, E. A., McKeever, L., Hall, A. M., Goday, P. S., & Braunschweig, C. (2017). Guidelines for the provision and assessment of Nutrition Support Therapy in the pediatric critically ill patient: Society of Critical Care Medicine and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 18(7), 675–715. https://doi.org/10.1097/pcc.0000000000001134

Panchal, A. K., Manzi, J., Connolly, S., Christensen, M., Wakeham, M., Goday, P. S., & Mikhailov, T. A. (2014). Safety of enteral feedings in critically ill children receiving vasoactive agents. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 40(2), 236–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/0148607114546533

Yi, Dae Young. (2018). Enteral nutrition in pediatric patients. Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, 21(1), 12-19. http://doi.org/10.5223/pghn.2018.21.1.12