Thrombotic and Infectious Risks of Parenteral Nutrition in Hospitalized Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background Malnutrition is common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), requiring timely and sufficient nutritional supplementation. In patients hospitalized for active disease, symptoms and/or altered intestinal function hinder enteral nutrition feasibility. In this scenario, parenteral nutrition (PN) is used. We aimed (1) to assess the frequency of PN use between 1997 and 2012 among hospitalized pediatric patients with IBD, (2) to determine the risk of in-hospital thrombus and infection associated with PN, and (3) to identify predictors of thrombus and infection in pediatric IBD hospitalizations utilizing PN. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of pediatric patients hospitalized between 1997 and 2012. We used the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) to identify pediatric patients (18 years of age) with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), PN exposure, and primary outcomes including thrombus and infection. We used multivariable regression to identify risk factors for outcomes of interest. Results Parenteral nutrition was utilized in 3732 (12%) of 30,914 IBD hospitalizations. Three percent of PN patients experienced a thrombotic complication, and 5.5% experienced an infectious complication. Multivariate analysis showed PN as an independent risk factor for thrombus (odds ratio [OR], 4.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-5.6) and infection (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 3.1-4.6). Surgery was an independent risk factor for thrombus (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-2.7) and infection (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 2.0-3.1) in hospitalizations exposed to PN. Conclusions Hospitalized pediatric IBD patients, particularly surgical, receiving PN are at increased risk for thrombosis and infection. Clinicians must balance these risks with the benefits of PN.