الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Malnutrition is a major problem in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Little is known about the nutritional status of the critically ill children during hospitalization and after discharge from PICUs. Inadequate nutrition is associated with an increased risk of morbidity, mortality and longer hospital stays. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of critical illness on the nutritional status of children admitted in PICU, detect the risk factors that contribute to development of malnutrition during PICU stay and to determine the effect of malnutrition during critical illness. This study was carried out in PICU of Mansoura University Children?s Hospital. The study included 28 patients. We conclude from this study that malnutrition is a common problem among PICU patients, critically ill children are at high risk for iron deficiency anemia, serum soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR) assay is highly valuable in detecting mild iron deficiency anemia in those patients, absolute lymphocytic count alone can not be used as a sensitive indicator for assessment of the immune status of critically ill patients and serum albumin could be used for follow up the nutritional status during PICU stay. Duration of stay in PICU, dietetic history and nutritional status on admission appear to be important risk factors for development of malnutrition during PICU stay, while type of illness and history of growthaffecting diseases have limited roles. We recommend nutritional assessment for all critically ill patients including multiple parameters, use of serum sTfR assay and short halflife proteins in those patients.