KevinMD September 26, 2024
The student I worked with quietly said, “Dr. Reinking, I think you multiplied wrong.” My shoulders tensed slightly, and my stomach dropped. We had just spent the better part of an hour working through a feeding and fluid plan with a patient’s family. The child had recently undergone open heart surgery. Feeding intolerance is relatively common after surgery and in children with congenital heart disease. Fluid management is also important after heart surgery. Patients who don’t tolerate food in their gut receive intravenous nutrition. Giving too much IV fluid will stress the heart and can also blunt the appetite. Don’t give enough fluid and risk dehydration. It is a delicate balance.
This child had three open heart surgeries over the...
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