Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33691756›Full record

ArticleItalian journal of pediatrics2021

Failure to thrive in infant and toddlers: a practical flowchart-based approach in a hospital setting.

Roberto Franceschi, Caterina Rizzardi, Evelina Maines, Alice Liguori, Massimo Soffiati, Gianluca Tornese

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Italian journal of pediatrics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Roberto FranceschiDivision of Pediatrics, S. Chiara General Hospital, Largo Medaglie d'Oro, 9, 38122, Trento, Italy. roberto.franceschi@apss.tn.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2230-7148
Caterina RizzardiDivision of Pediatrics, S. Chiara General Hospital, Largo Medaglie d'Oro, 9, 38122, Trento, Italy.
Evelina MainesDivision of Pediatrics, S. Chiara General Hospital, Largo Medaglie d'Oro, 9, 38122, Trento, Italy.
Alice LiguoriDivision of Pediatrics, S. Chiara General Hospital, Largo Medaglie d'Oro, 9, 38122, Trento, Italy.
Massimo SoffiatiDivision of Pediatrics, S. Chiara General Hospital, Largo Medaglie d'Oro, 9, 38122, Trento, Italy.
Gianluca TorneseInstitute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
Ospedale Santa Chiara · ITIRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFailure to thrive is a common reason for referral to paediatric services. Malnutrition or inadequate caloric intake is the most common cause, while organic form is unlikely in children who are asymptomatic and healthy on examination. By this study we evaluate the application of a cost-effective flow chart that helps the clinician in a hospital setting discern accurately organic and non-organic failure to thrive.

methodsConduct a prospective single-center study in children up to 2 years of age with growth faltering. The pediatricians used a practical flow chart, took the medical history, created a growth chart, performed clinical examinations, and requested blood test and consultations in a step by step approach.

resultsAmong the 74 subjects included in the study, the diagnosis of organic failure to thrive was reached by 42%. Gastrointestinal and genetic diagnoses were the most frequent. Patients with organic failure to thrive had significantly lower gestational age and birth weight. Age at diagnosis and Z-score weight were lower in organic than in non-organic forms. Most patients with non-organic forms (88%) did not undergo in-depth blood test or specialist advice.

conclusionThe flow chart we presented was accurate for diagnosing children with failure to thrive in a hospital setting and distinct organic and non-organic forms. It was cost-effective to avoid unnecessary blood test or consultations in most non-organic diagnoses.

Indexed as

Decision Support TechniquesFailure to ThriveFemaleHospitals, PediatricHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleProspective StudiesFailure to thriveFlow chartHospital setting

Identifiers

PMID33691756
PMCPMC7945305
OpenAlexW3134031895

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.