Journal
JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH
Volume 57, Issue 3, Pages 359-364Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/jpc.15220
Keywords
Crohn disease; dietitian; exclusive enteral nutrition; paediatric; questionnaire
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study found that pediatric dietitians in Australia and New Zealand are mostly aligned in their practice of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN), with clear consensus on the duration of EEN, the need for close dietitian supervision, and the method of food reintroduction. However, there was lack of consensus among dietitians regarding permitted concomitant foods while on EEN. The development of a standard EEN protocol and patient IBD resources will further align practice and allow for greater research possibilities.
Aim In newly diagnosed paediatric Crohn disease, exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is recommended as a first-line treatment for remission induction. However, EEN protocols vary internationally. The development of best practice protocols may make it easier to make definitive conclusions about optimal EEN therapy, and may improve patient outcomes. This study aims to determine the variations in current dietitian EEN practice within Australia and New Zealand (NZ) to inform a common EEN protocol in the future, and to gather perspectives on the need for nutrition resources for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods A questionnaire was created and emailed to paediatric dietitians working with gastroenterologists in public and private paediatric centres in Australia and NZ. Respondents were invited to provide details of their perspectives of EEN therapy and protocol details. Results Eighteen paediatric dietitians responded to the questionnaire, 10 from Australia and 8 from NZ. There was clear consensus between respondents on the duration of EEN being 6 and 8 weeks, the need for close dietitian supervision while on EEN, and the method of food reintroduction. There was lack of consensus between dietitians regarding permitted concomitant foods whilst on EEN. This study also determined a potential benchmarking relationship between IBD dietitian hours and numbers of patients on EEN per year in a centre. Conclusions Paediatric dietitians in Australia and NZ are mostly aligned in their practice of EEN. Development of a standard EEN protocol, and patient IBD resources, will further align practice and allow for greater research possibilities.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available