Use of parenteral nutrition in the pediatric ICU: should we panic because of PEPaNIC?

Critical Care Nutrition for Children - Where are we now?

In this review, we outline key practical components of the nutritional management of critically-ill children in the context of the current peer reviewed literature and identify vital knowledge gaps for further investigation. Emerging areas of research are discussed, including skeletal muscle ultrasonography for measurement of skeletal muscle, and the potential future role of pre- and probiotics.

On how to feed critically ill children in intensive care: A slowly shifting paradigm

Critically ill children requiring treatment in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) suffer from anorexia and/or feeding intolerance. The resulting macronutrient deficit associates with poor outcome. Until recently, this association formed the basis for initiating enteral or parenteral feeding early to improve outcome. The multicenter "Early-versus-Late-Parenteral-Nutrition-in-the-Pediatric-Intensive-Care-Unit" randomized controlled trial (PEPaNIC-RCT) addressed whether this association is causal. It showed that early supplementation of insufficient/contraindicated enteral nutrition with parenteral nutrition, as compared with accepting a macronutrient deficit throughout the first week in the PICU, did not improve outcome. On the contrary, it caused more infections and prolonged organ support and PICU stay, and adversely affected neurodevelopmental outcomes 2 and 4 years later. Harm was present in all subgroups and appeared explained by the macronutrient dose, more specifically the amino-acid dose, not lipid or glucose doses. These findings corroborated results from large-scale adult RCTs. Mechanisms of harm from early enhanced nutrition comprised suppressed cellular repair pathways like autophagy and ketogenesis, suppressed illness-induced alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism, more iatrogenic hyperglycemia, increased urea cycle activity through anabolic resistance, and induction of epigenetic modifications that mediate longer-term developmental impairments. These results came unexpected to many pediatric intensivists. Hence, the paradigm has only slowly begun to shift toward more restrictive macronutrient administration in the acute phase of critical illness. Benefits of early fasting responses have become clear, provided micronutrients are given to prevent deficiencies and refeeding syndrome. These insights open perspectives for studies investigating novel nutritional strategies to activate fasting-induced cellular repair while avoiding prolonged starvation.

Changes in Global Nutrition Practices in Critically Ill Children and the Influence of Emerging Evidence: A Secondary Analysis of the Pediatric International Nutrition Studies, 2009-2018

BACKGROUND

The timeline of the 3 Pediatric International Nutrition Studies (PINS) coincided with the publication of 2 major guidelines for the timing of parenteral nutrition (PN) and recommended energy and protein delivery dose.

OBJECTIVE

The study's main objective was to describe changes in the nutrition delivery practice recorded in PINS1 and PINS2 (PINS1-2) (conducted in 2009 and 2011, preexposure epoch) vs PINS3 (conducted in 2018, postexposure epoch), in relation to the published practice guidelines.

DESIGN

This study is a secondary analysis of data from a multicenter prospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Data from 3650 participants, aged 1 month to 18 years, admitted to 100 unique hospitals that participated in 3 PINS was used for this study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The time in days from pediatric intensive care unit admission to the initiation of PN and enteral nutrition delivery were the primary outcomes. Prescribed energy and protein goals were the secondary outcomes.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

A frailty model with a random intercept per hospital with stratified baseline hazard function by region for the primary outcomes and a mixed-effects negative binomial regression with random intercept per hospital for the secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

The proportion of patients receiving enteral nutrition (88.3% vs 80.6%; P < .001) was higher, and those receiving PN (20.6% vs 28.8%; P < .001) was lower in the PINS3 cohort compared with PINS1-2. In the PINS3 cohort, the odds of initiating PN during the first 10 days of pediatric intensive care unit admission were lower, compared with the PINS1-2 cohort (hazard ratio 0.8, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.95; P = .013); and prescribed energy goal was lower compared with the PINS1-2 cohort (incident rate ratio 0.918, 95% CI 0.874 to 0.965; P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The likelihood of initiation of PN delivery significantly decreased during the first 10 days after admission in the PINS3 cohort compared with PINS1-2. Energy goal prescription in children receiving mechanical ventilation significantly decreased in the postguidelines epoch compared with the preguidelines epoch.

Early weight measures and long-term neuropsychological outcome of critically ill neonates and infants: a secondary analysis of the PEPaNIC trial

Neonates and infants surviving critical illness show impaired growth during critical illness and are at risk for later neuropsychological impairments. Early identification of individuals most at risk is needed to provide tailored long-term follow-up and care. The research question is whether early growth during hospitalization is associated with growth and neuropsychological outcomes in neonates and infants after pediatric intensive care unit admission (PICU). This is a secondary analysis of the PEPaNIC trial. Weight measurements upon PICU admission, at PICU discharge, at hospital discharge, at 2- and 4-year follow-up, and of different subgroups were compared using (paired) t-tests. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between early growth in weight measures and neuropsychological outcomes at 4-year follow-up. One hundred twenty-one infants were included, and median age upon admission was 21 days. Growth in weight per week was less than the age-appropriate norm, resulting in a decrease in weight-for-age Z-score during hospitalization. Weight is normalized at 2- and 4-year follow-up. Weight gain in kilograms per week and change in weight Z-score were not associated with neurodevelopmental outcome measures at 4-year follow-up. Lower weight-for-age Z-score at PICU admission and at hospital discharge was associated only with lower weight and height Z-scores at 4-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Growth in weight during hospital stay of young survivors of critical illness is impaired. Worse early growth in weight is associated with lower weight and height but not with neuropsychological outcomes at 4-year follow-up.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Critically ill neonates and infants show impaired early growth during admission and are at risk for later neuropsychological impairments. • Unraveling the association between early growth and later neuropsychological impairments is crucial since the first year of life is critical for brain development.

WHAT IS NEW

• Critically ill neonates and infants had age appropriate weight measures at 4-year follow-up. • Poor growth in weight during hospital stay was not associated with poorer cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning four years after critical illness.

Long-term developmental effects of withholding parenteral nutrition for 1 week in the paediatric intensive care unit: a 2-year follow-up of the PEPaNIC international, randomised, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The paediatric early versus late parenteral nutrition in critical illness (PEPaNIC) multicentre, randomised, controlled trial showed that, compared with early parenteral nutrition, withholding supplemental parenteral nutrition for 1 week in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU; late parenteral nutrition) reduced infections and accelerated recovery from critical illness in children. We aimed to investigate the long-term impact on physical and neurocognitive development of early versus late parenteral nutrition.

METHODS

In this preplanned 2-year follow-up study, all patients included in the PEPaNIC trial (which was done in University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium; Erasmus Medical Centre-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands; and Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada) were approached for possible assessment of physical and neurocognitive development compared with healthy children who were matched for age and sex, and who had never been admitted to a neonatal ICU or a PICU. Assessed outcomes comprised anthropometric data; health status; parent-reported or caregiver-reported executive functions and emotional and behavioural problems; and tests for intelligence, visual-motor integration, alertness, motor coordination, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and memory. To address partial responses among the children tested, we did multiple data imputation by chained equations before univariable and multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses adjusted for risk factors. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01536275.

FINDINGS

At the 2-year follow-up, 60 (8%) of 717 children who received late parenteral nutrition and 63 (9%) of 723 children who received early parenteral nutrition had died (p=0·81). 68 (9%) of 717 children who received late and 91 (13%) of 723 children who received early parenteral nutrition were too disabled for neurocognitive assessment (p=0·059), and 786 patients (395 assigned to late and 391 assigned to early parenteral nutrition) consented for testing. 786 patients and 405 healthy control children underwent long-term outcome testing between Aug 4, 2014, and Jan 19, 2018, and were included in the imputation model for subsequent multivariable analyses. Late parenteral nutrition did not adversely affect anthropometric data, health status, or neurological functioning, and improved parent-reported or caregiver-reported executive functioning (late vs early parenteral nutrition β estimate -2·258, 95% CI -4·012 to -0·504; p=0·011), more specifically inhibition (-3·422, -5·171 to -1·673; p=0·0001), working memory (-2·016, -3·761 to -0·270; p=0·023), and meta-cognition (-1·957, -3·694 to -0·220; p=0·027). Externalising behavioural problems (β estimate -1·715, 95% CI -3·325 to -0·106; p=0·036) and visual-motor integration (0·468, 0·087 to 0·850; p=0·016) were also improved in the late parenteral nutrition group compared with the early parenteral nutrition group. After Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, the effect on inhibitory control remained significant (p=0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

Withholding early parenteral nutrition for 1 week in the PICU did not negatively affect survival, anthropometrics, health status, and neurocognitive development, and improved inhibitory control 2 years after PICU admission.

FUNDING

European Research Council Advanced Grant, Methusalem programme provided by the Flemish Government, Flemish Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT), Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Sophia Children's Hospital Foundation (SSWO), Stichting Agis Zorginnovatie, Erasmus Trustfonds, and European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) research grant.

Outcomes of Delaying Parenteral Nutrition for 1 Week vs Initiation Within 24 Hours Among Undernourished Children in Pediatric Intensive Care: A Subanalysis of the PEPaNIC Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Undernourishment has been associated with poor outcomes of critical illness in children. The effects of withholding parenteral nutrition (PN) for 1 week in undernourished critically ill children are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the outcome effects of withholding PN for 1 week in undernourished critically ill children.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This is a subanalysis of the randomized clinical trial Pediatric Early vs Late Parenteral Nutrition in Intensive Care Unit (PEPaNIC; N = 1440), which focused on the subgroup of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients identified as undernourished on admission. Children included in the PEPaNIC trial were enrolled between June 18, 2012, and July 27, 2015. Undernourishment was defined as weight-for-age z score less than -2 in children younger than 1 year, and body mass index-for-age z score less than -2 in children 1 year or older. Data analysis was conducted from August 3, 2017, to July 6, 2018.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomized to initiation of supplemental PN within 24 hours (early PN) or after 1 week (late PN) when enteral nutrition was insufficient.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Primary end points were risk of new infections acquired in the PICU and time to live PICU discharge, assessed via multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard analyses, adjusted for risk factors.

RESULTS

A total of 289 of 1440 children (20.1%), term newborn to age 17 years, were identified as undernourished, of whom 150 of 717 patients (20.9%) were in the late PN group and 139 of 723 patients (19.2%) were in the early PN group. On admission, characteristics were similar among the treatment groups. Mean (SD) weight z scores were -3.33 (1.18) in the late PN group and -3.21 (1.09) in the early PN group. Compared with well-nourished PICU patients, undernourishment on admission was associated with lower likelihood of an earlier live PICU discharge (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.75-0.99; P = .03). Among undernourished PICU patients, late PN reduced the risk of new infections by 11.0% (adjusted odds ratio, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.19-0.78; P = .01), and shortened the duration of PICU stay by a median of 2 days (earlier live PICU discharge: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.06-1.75; P = .01). The safety outcomes mortality, incidence of hypoglycemia during the first week, and incidence of weight deterioration during PICU stay were similar between the treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In undernourished critically ill children, withholding PN for 1 week was clinically superior to early PN.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01536275.