Outcomes of Children With Chronic Intestinal Failure: Experience Over 2 Decades at a Tertiary Paediatric Hospital

Background and Aims: The aim of the study was to aid decisions on prognosis and transplantation; this study describes the outcome of children with intestinal failure managed by the multidisciplinary intestinal rehabilitation program at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. Methods: Retrospective review of children requiring parenteral nutrition (PN) for>3 months who were assessed for home PN between 1991 and 2011. Results: A total of 51 children were included. Forty-two (82%) had short bowel syndrome (SBS), 5 (10%) had chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction syndrome, and 4 (8%) had congenital enteropathies. Median small bowel length for patients with SBS was 45 cm (interquartile range 30–80) or 23.9% of the expected length for age (interquartile range 17.0%–40.6%). Overall survival rate was 84% (43/51). Mortality in children (n = 7) occurred after a median of 13.2 months (range 6.2–29.2) with intestinal failure–associated liver disease (IFALD) being the only predictor (P = 0.001). Out of 50 children 21 (42%) had IFALD. Children who were premature (P = 0.013), had SBS (P = 0.038), and/or frequent sepsis (P = 0.014) were more likely to develop IFALD. PN weaning occurred in 27 of 35 (77%) SBS survivors, after a median of 10.8 months (up to 8.2 years), with longer residual small bowel (P = 0.025), preservation of the ileocecal valve (P = 0.013) and colon (P = 0.011) being predictors. None of 5 (0%) patients with chronic intesti...
Source: Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition - Category: Gastroenterology Tags: Original Articles: Nutrition Source Type: research