Define Post-surgical Nutrition Support for CHD Patient?
Nutrition support should be started as soon as possible. If oral not possible, enteral nutrition support should be provided. Nutritional support call be enhanced with continuous linterrnittent nasogastric feeding either by 24 hours/12 hrs continuous feeding, 12 hours nocturnal continuous feeding, or by Bolus feeds. In case enteral support cannot be provided for more than one week, initiate TPN.
Solid food feeding weaning to be initiated at the same time as normal term infant. To sum up, CHD contribute significantly to malnutrition, morbidity and mortality. It is important to recognize patients who are undernourished or at risk, so that they can receive appropriate treatment. The surgery outcome is also observed to be better with improved nutritional status. Thus it is important for proper diet counseling to provide ideal nutrition therapy to improve nutritional status of CHD patients.