INTRODUCTION

Most pediatric patients with chronic renal failure develop mal nutrition and anemia. To treat anemia, erythropoietin (EPO) is administered as a treatment of choice, but does not recover the nutritional status of the patient, so that L-carnitine, is presented as an alternative that improves the nutritional status, while It decreases the frequency of anemia.

OBJECTIVE

To improve the biochemical and anthropometric parameters, after supplementation with L-carnitine in pediatric patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A longitudinal study, case series in 25 participants, both sexes, aged 3-16 years old, with chronic renal failure and hemodialysis was performed. They were provided L-carnitine i.v. (50 mg / kg / session), 30 minutes before finishing hemodialysis sessions for three months (36 sessions). Before and after the maneuver some biochemical parameters (hemoglobin, albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine) and anthropometric were compared. a comparison with T Student and proportions (cases improved after switching and absolute risk reduction) was performed mainly.

RESULTS

The average age of cases was 12.4 years (range 3-16 years). When comparing cases with T student, a significant improvement with supplementation for dry weight (p = 0.004), body mass index (p = 0.04), albumin (p = 0.02) and cholesterol (p = 0.003) was obtained. With the calculation proportions of cases improved with the maneuver, reducing the risk attributable observed in a range from 12 to 68% of all of the variables of interest (hemoglobin, albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides, dry weight and BMI).

CONCLUSIONS

Supplementation connote-carnitine I.V. 50 mg / kg / session, 30 minutes before the end of each hemodialysis session for three months, allowed an improvement in the percentage of case studies for dry weight, BMI, albumin, hemoglobin, cholesterol and triglycerides, a reduction attributable risk of 12 to 68% of cases.