rezumat

Illness has a major impact on the nutritional status of children. When compared with adults pediatric patients have high nutrient needs for growth and development and low nutrient reserves. Critical illness results in multiple metabolic changes that induce a hypercatabolic state, resulting in major alterations in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism and a significant increase in resting energy expenditure (REE) [1]. The hypermetabolic response in patients with sepsis, shock, major trauma and severe inflammation combined with the limited energy reserves may lead to the high incidence of malnutrition in critically ill children.