Hypophosphatemia in critically ill pediatric patients receiving enteral and oral nutrition

BACKGROUND Hypophosphatemia(HP) is related to several comorbidities in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of HP in severely ill pediatric patients receiving oral and/or enteral nutrition. The secondary objectives were to investigate the association between HP and the inflammatory state, PICU length of stay, severity, mortality, nutrition status, and protein, energy, calcium, vitamin D, and phosphate intake. METHODS A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted in a PICU of a quaternary hospital. Participants aged between 28 days and 14 years were included. Anthropometric and laboratory assessments were performed ≤72 h after PICU admission and repeated after 7 days for three consecutive times. Energy, protein, calcium, phosphate, and vitamin D intake per day of hospitalization were recorded individually. The Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 (PIM2) was used to determine each patient's severity score. RESULTS A total of 103 participants were included in the study. Hypophosphatemic events ranged from 27.2% to 37.5% among the assessments. HP was associated with high C-reactive protein levels (P = .012) and lower energy adequacy (P = .037). Serum phosphorus was inversely correlated (weak correlation) with PIM2 (P = .017). CONCLUSION HP is common in critically ill pediatric patients, even when they are not receiving parenteral nutrition. It is necessary to monitor serum phosphorus levels and consider the possibility of early replacement, especially in patients showing high levels of inflammation. In addition to inflammation itself, low energy intake and illness severity were related to HP.