Cath Lab Digest

  An abundance of research supports nutrition guidelines for treating pressure ulcers, but published guidelines on medical nutrition therapy for postsurgical wounds do not exist. Surgical wounds are distinctly different from chronic types of wounds; key factors in nonhealing surgical wounds are ischemia and bacterial colonization, which stall healing in the inflammatory stage.¹ Primary wound healing typically begins within hours of closing a surgical incision.² Nevertheless, the principle goals of wound healing are to eliminate factors that may complicate or delay wound healing, and then optimize the wound healing environment^3,4 (see Table 1). Some factors that may complicate or delay wound healing can be addressed (at least partially) through nutrition.

  According to the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA),¹ interstitial cystitis (IC), a painful and puzzling bladder disorder, “is a condition that consists of recurring pelvic pain, pressure, or discomfort in the bladder and pelvic region, often associated with urinary frequency and urgency.” The RAND Interstitial Cystitis Epidemiology study² reported in 2009 that approximately 3 to 8 million women and 1 to 4 million men suffer from IC.

  Historically, IC was considered a chronic pelvic pain syndrome originating in the bladder, but epidemiological studies comparing IC with similar conditions belie the simplicity of this statement. International researchers working to describe what is happening to an IC bladder are including other syndromes similar to IC; hence, IC is referred to alternatively as painful bladder syndrome (PBS), bladder pain syndrome (BPS, used primarily in Europe), and hypersensitive bladder syndrome (HBS, used primarily in Asia). Men also may be diagnosed with chronic prostatitis (CP), which shares similar symptom characteristics with IC. For the purpose of simplicity, in this article the condition will be called IC.

  Children are not small adults. Rapid growth rate stands at the forefront of distinction in relation to nutritional status. Children are in a constant anabolic state, actively building their bodies. They need more calories, protein, and water per unit of body weight than adults. Often, they are powerless over food choice; parents, caregivers, or teachers decide when and what they eat. Their communication of needs and desires is still developing. Diets, often consisting of unpopular foods restricted by region, ethnicity, and financial or social status, as well as small appetites, are frequently inadequate. Additionally, a child’s adventurous nature spawns risk-taking behavior. Threat of gastrointestinal infection is higher due to exploration and hands-to-mouth gestures. Needs change as rapidly as growth occurs, necessitating flexibility and constant adjustment in plan of care. Nutritional screening, problem prevention, and early intervention are imperative.

  The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) conducted a survey in 2007 to determine the extent of complementary and alternative medicine use in America.¹ The findings indicated omega-3 fatty acid supplements were the most commonly used nonvitamin/nonmineral product among adults; 37% who had used natural products in the last 30 days had taken an omega-3 supplement for health reasons.

  Obesity rates are rising at an alarming rate and pose a major public health concern in the US and worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention¹ estimate that 34% of the American population is obese, numbers that have trended upward dramatically since 1980. Even more alarming is the increase in childhood obesity. Obesity in children 2 through 19 years of age has steadily grown; currently, more than 17% of American children are obese.²