10-Year Review of Pediatric Intestinal Failure: Clinical Factors Associated With Outcome

Prediction of outcomes in pediatric intestinal failure is challenging but essential to guide intestinal rehabilitation and transplantation decisions. This review of intestinal failure patients spanning 10 years examines clinical details in relation to outcome to identify factors that may refine predictive accuracy. A search was conducted to identify all children with intestinal failure managed at Stollery Children's Hospital between January 1994 and December 2003. They were divided into 3 groups: early death occurring <= 30 days of age, parenteral nutrition dependence for 30-100 days, and parenteral nutrition dependence for > 100 days. The long-term group was divided according to outcome: death or adaptation. Demographics, diagnosis, nutrition requirements, laboratory parameters, and clinical data were recorded. Groups were compared to identify factors associated with outcome. Necrotizing enterocolitis, gastroschisis, and intestinal atresias were the most common causes for intestinal failure; outcome was not related to diagnosis. Although withdrawal of therapy was common in the early death group, most babies had one or more additional significant comorbidity. Among the 29 babies requiring parenteral nutrition for > 100 days with known outcomes, 12 died, 16 adapted fully, and 1 received a multivisceral transplant. Intestinal length > 40 cm was associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality (P <.001). Abnormal laboratory values (bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, albumin, and platelet count) after 5 months of age were also significantly different between groups. This data, together with data from previous reviews, should be used to investigate potential predictive factors in prospective studies, particularly in the context of expert multidisciplinary care. (Nutr Clin Pract. 2008;23:436-442)