Prognostic factors associated with patient survival during nutritional rehabilitation in malnourished children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

Nineteen children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis and malnutrition were given intensive nutritional support in an effort to reverse malnutrition. Standard techniques of enteral and parenteral feeding were used. As 10 of 19 patients died shortly after nutritional intervention began, we retrospectively analyzed patient data in order to discover whether or not any patient characteristics were associated with survival. Using a multivariate analysis, a linear discriminant function was derived employing average heart rate, the presence or absence of Pseudomonas cepacia in the sputum culture, PaCO2, and the patient's age at the time of intervention. This function correctly classified these 19 patients. A further 10 nonselected CF patients who also received nutritional support were similarly assessed using the function, and again, survival was accurately predicted. Therefore, this function can be used to predict the likelihood of patient survival during the provision of advanced nutritional support. It may be helpful in deciding whether or not advanced nutritional support is warranted in certain CF patients.