Nutrition in ART programmes would be of interest to IMTF website visitors as it presents among other topics “Interventions for particular groups” including Severely malnourished patients entering ART.
It was stated that for severely wasted patients entering highly active antiretroviral therapy, access to competent nutrition rehabilitation “is an immediate matter of life and death”. Management of malnutrition-associated dehydration is urgent, with enteral feeding by naso-gastric tube or parenteral feeding (by IV drip) indicated until the patient can eat. Selenium should be included in parenteral mixes, as deficiency causes serious metabolic problems.
Intensive care will often be required for survival of HIV-positive children presenting to NRUs with severe acute malnutrition whether or not they commence ART, including therapeutic feeding.
On Food and Nutrition at the 2009 implementers’ meeting, Food by Prescription and Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition were discussed .
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