The role of nutritional care in the pediatric ward of Fatmawati Hospital LANNY C GULTOM and DODY FIRMANDA Department

of Pediatrics Fatmawati Hospital Jakarta Background Nutrition is very important in all children including inpatient children. Since July 2010, we started to include the nutritional care done by pediatric of nutrition and metabolic division and dietician besides the major pediatrician who incharged in treatment of all the patients in the pediatric ward of Fatmawati Hospital. Objectives to examine (1) the patients nutritional status in the first day of hospitalization; (2) the improvement of patients nutritional status during the hospitalization; and (3) the incidence of hospital malnutrition. Methods We conducted a one group pre-test and post-test study involving 678 patients hospitalized in the pediatric ward of Fatmawati Hospital from July 1st to Dec 31st 2010. The nutritional status is based on actual body weight (BW) divided by ideal body weight (IBW) according to height or actual mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) divided by MUAC according to age. The calories given to each pasien are based on IBW times requirement daily allowances according to height age. Results At the first day of hospitalization, there were 4.6% obesity; 4.6% overweight; 38.1% well-nourished; 50.5% mild-moderate malnutrition; and 2.2% severe malnutrition. After the hospitalization, the nutritional status became 4.4% obesity; 4.6% overweight; 40.1% well-nourished; 48.8% mild-moderate malnutrition; and 1.1% severe malnutrition. The incidence of hospital malnutrition was 0.74%; in which 5 well-nourished patients became mildmoderate malnutrition with the underlying diseases such as bronchopneumonia (2); lymphoma malignum (1); acute gastritis and mild to moderate dehidration (1); and mastoiditis (1). All of hospital malnutrition etiologies in this study were oral caloric intake decreasement and refusal to use the enteral nutrition. Conclusion The nutritional care is important and it is a part of inpatient management. Keywords: nutritional care, hospitalization, malnutrition