Abstract Objective: To identify clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children evaluated by the pediatric aerodigestive program at the beginning of its activity, describe challenges in followup, and suggest mitigation strategies. Methods: A case series was conducted describing the first 25 patients discussed by the aerodigestive team from a Brazilian quaternary public university hospital between April 2019 and October 2020. The median follow-up was 37 months. Results: During the study period 25 children were seen by the group and the median age at first assessment was 45.7 months old. Eight children had a primary airway abnormality, five had a tracheostomy. Nine children had genetic disorders and one had esophageal atresia. Dysphagia was present in 80% of the patients, 68% had a history of chronic or recurrent lung disease, 64% had a gastroenterological diagnosis and 56% had neurological impairment. Moderate to severe dysphagia was identified in 12 children and 7 of these had an exclusive oral diet at the time. The majority of children (72%) had 3 or more comorbidities. Following team discussion, a change in feeding strategy was suggested in 56% of the children. The most frequently ordered exam was pHmetry (44%) and gastrostomy was the surgical procedure with the longest waiting list. Conclusions: Dysphagia was the most frequent issue encountered in this initial group of aerodigestive patients. Pediatricians caring for these children must be involved in aerodigestive team discussions and hospital policies must be revised to facilitate access to exams and procedures needed for this population.

Background: Accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) are crucial for avoiding unnecessary prescription of infant formulas. Here, we aimed to use the oral food challenge (OFC) for CMPA confirmation and for assessing development of natural tolerance to milk, in children with clinical CMPA diagnosis. We also assessed the economic impact in public health-care costs of reducing the prescription of infant formulas (provided by the São Paulo State’s public health service, in Brazil, until two years of age) after ruling out CMPA diagnosis in children with negative OFC results. Methods: We reviewed medical records of 76 children [41 males, median age = 2.0 years (0.8-5.0)] who underwent OFC from January 2016 to June 2018, 30 of whom were ≤2 years old. Results: Before OFC, 52 (68.4%), 20 (26.3%) and five (5.3%) children were diagnosed with non-IgE-mediated, IgE-mediated and mixed CMPA, respectively. Most children were fed with aminoacid-based formulas (n=29, 38%). OFC was negative in 58 (76%) children, thus ruling out CMPA diagnosis. Out of 18 (24%) OFC-positive children, most (n=10, 56%) had gastrointestinal symptoms. After ruling out CMPA diagnosis, a mean of 152.3 formula cans (2,161.14 US dollars) were saved per children by the public health service. The total amount saved was 64,834.27 US dollars. Conclusions: OFC proved important not only for ruling out misdiagnosed CMPA, but also for preventing the indiscriminate use of infant formulas, which, in turn, had positive consequences for public health costs.

Objetivos: O diagnóstico preciso e o manejo apropriado da alergia à proteína do leite de vaca (alergia ao leite, AL) são cruciais para evitar a prescrição desnecessária de fórmulas infantis. Aqui, tivemos o objetivo de usar o teste de provocação oral aberto (TPOA) para a confirmação do diagnóstico de AL e para avaliar o desenvolvimento de tolerância natural ao leite, em crianças com diagnóstico clínico de AL. Também avaliamos o impacto nos custos de saúde pública da redução da prescrição de fórmulas infantis (fornecidas pelo serviço de saúde do estado de São Paulo até os dois anos de idade) após descartar o diagnóstico de AL em crianças com TPOA negativo. Métodos: Revisamos prontuários de 76 crianças [41 do sexo masculino, mediana de idade = 2. anos (0,8-5,0)] submetidas ao TPOA de janeiro de 2016 a junho de 2018, 30 das quais tinham dois anos de idade ou menos. Resultados: Antes do TPOA, 52 (68.4%), 20 (26.3%) e cinco (5.3%) crianças foram diagnosticadas com AL não mediada por IgE, mediada por IgE e de mecanismo misto, respectivamente.  A maioria das crianças era alimentada com fórmulas baseadas em aminoácidos (n=29, 38%). O TPOA foi negativo em 58 (76%) crianças, descartando, assim, o diagnóstico de AL. De 18 (24%) crianças positivas para o TPOA, a maioria (n=10, 56%) tinha sintomas gastrointestinais. Após descartar o diagnóstico de AL, uma média de 152,3 latas de fórmula (R$ 8.644,57) foram economizadas, por criança, pelo serviço público de saúde. O montante total economizado foi de R$ 259.337,09. Conclusão: O TPOA se mostrou importante, não apenas para descartar o diagnóstico de AL, como também para evitar o uso indiscriminado de fórmulas infantis, o que, por sua vez, teve consequências positivas para os custos de saúde pública.

RESUMO Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a ingestão alimentar, o estado nutricional e a taxa de crescimento de crianças e adolescentes com obstrução extra-hepática de veia porta e hipertensão portal. Métodos: Pacientes ambulatoriais com idades entre 1 e 18 anos, diagnóstico de obstrução extra-hepática de veia porta e hipertensão portal, sem patologias associadas e que não foram submetidos a um shunt venoso, foram incluídos neste estudo. O estudo compreendeu duas avaliações, no início (avaliação 1) e uma avaliação final (avaliação 2) com um intervalo mínimo de três meses entre ambos. Cada avaliação analisou a ingestão dietética comparando os resultados com as recomendações de energia usando a equação de Harris & Benedict e os dados antropométricos dos participantes, tais como peso, altura, circunferência muscular do braço, peso por idade, altura por idade e índice de massa corpórea por idade utilizando a norma da Organização Mundial da Saúde de 2006. Resultados: Participaram do estudo 22 pacientes. Foi observada uma melhora significativa entre a primeira e a segunda avaliação para as medidas de peso, estatura, índice de massa corporal e circunferência muscular do braço (p<0,001; p<0,001; p<0,017; p=0,0018, respectivamente) e a relação de ingestão dietética e recomendação energética equação de Harris & Benedict (p=0,0001). Conclusão: Obstrução extra-hepática de veia porta e hipertensão portal não se mostraram como fatores predisponentes para desnutrição em nosso estudo.

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aims to evaluate dietary intake, nutritional status, and growth rate in children and adolescents with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction and portal hypertension. Methods: Outpatients aged 1-18 years, diagnosed with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction and portal hypertension, who had no associated diseases, and who had not been subjected to a venous shunt were included in this study. Two evaluations were carried out in this study: an initial (evaluation 1) and a final evaluation (evaluation 2), with a three-month minimum interval between them. In each evaluation, dietary intake was analyzed comparing the results with recommended energy intake using the Harris & Benedict equation and participants’ anthropometric data, such as weight, height, mid-arm muscle circumference, weight-for-age, height-for-age, and body mass index-for-age, based on the World Health Organization 2006 standards. Results: A total of 22 patients participated in this study. There was a significant improvement in weight, height, body mass index, and mid-arm muscle circumference measurements (p<0.001; p<0.001; p<0.017; p=0.0018 respectively) and in the relationship between dietary intake and energy recommended energy intake, according to the Harris & Benedict equation (p=0.0001) from the first and second evaluation. Conclusion: Extrahepatic portal vein obstruction and portal hypertension were not shown to be factors predisposing to malnourishment.