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Pre‐ and postoperative nutritional care in liver transplantation in children
Author(s) -
SHEPHERD ROSS W.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1996.tb01775.x
Subject(s) - medicine , malnutrition , liver transplantation , intensive care medicine , transplantation , parenteral nutrition , enteral administration , liver disease , orthotopic liver transplantation , pediatrics , medical nutrition therapy , disease , surgery
Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is now a definitive treatment option for most cases of endstage liver disease (ESLD) in children. Efforts now focus on active supportive treatment to maintain, if not improve, the patient's clinical status before OLT and to ensure normal patterns of growth and development after OLT. Malnutrition adversely affects the outcome of OLT and is probably the single area in pre‐operative management where the largest potential improvement can be made. Our studies indicate significant abnormalities of protein energy metabolism and body composition in children referred for OLT. We have shown that the use of enteral formulae, enriched with branched‐chain amino acids, have significant advantages. Other adjunctive therapy, such as growth hormone, is the subject of current investigation. Following transplantation, catch‐up weight and growth does occur with the advent of normal liver functioning, but patients at continuing risk for undernutrition, such as those with rejection and/or chronic infection, need to be targeted for specific nutritional therapy.