Nutritional aspects in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children and adolescents in a tertiary hospital

Introduction: during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) some factors may impact on the patient's nutritional status (NS). Conditioning regimen, as well as signs and symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract, can negatively influence on oral food intake. Patients may require the use of complementary nutritional therapies aiming at an adequate caloric intake with the objective of avoiding decreasing in NS. Objective: the study aims to describe the nutritional aspects relevant to the maintenance of NS during hospitalization of children and adolescents undergoing HSCT at a tertiary hospital. Method: a retrospective study with a review of medical records of patients undergoing HSCT, aged between 0 and 19 years of age (incomplete) between January 2009 and December 2014. Data were collected regarding food intake, nutritional therapies used, and clinical signs and symptoms in six times: hospitalization, D0 (day of cell infusion), D+7, D+14, D+21 and D+28. Results: sixty-three patients were evaluated, being 56% males, with a median age of ten years. At the time of hospitalization, 100% of patients had their energy needs met by mouth, decreasing from D0 (about 30%), with more prevalent use of parental nutritional and enteral nutrition from D+7. Loss of appetite, mucositis and nausea were the most frequent signs and symptoms. From D+21 it was possible to observe an increase in caloric intake by mouth. Conclusion: patients showed decreased food intake throughout hospitalization. However, it has been shown that the prescription of complementary nutritional therapies has reduced the impact of weight loss.