As a physician on a mission to treat patients in subSaharan Africa you encounter numerous children with a common cluster of signs and symptoms. These include protuberant abdomens, generalized edema, loss of muscle mass, lethargy, irritability, and fatigue. Given the constellation of symptoms in your patients, your normal course of treatment would most likely include which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The children you are treating are suffering from kwashiorkor which is a form of malnutrition due to a deficiency in protein but with sufficient caloric intake. Kwashiorkor is an acute form of childhood protein-energy malnutrition characterized by edema causing the typical bulging stomach seen in affected children. Kwashiorkor also results in irritability, anorexia, skin ulcers, and hepatomegaly due to fatty infiltration. The hepatomegaly also contributes to the protuberant abdomen in these children. Treatment of Kwashiorkor involves careful administration of protein with the use of carbohydrate and fat for the majority of caloric needs of the child. This is due to the fact that the administration of too much protein will lead to increased hepatic urea cycle activity. Since the liver is already compromised due to the fatty infiltration, the metabolism of protein can exacerbate the damage and lead to liver failure and death.

As a Physician on a Mission to Treat Patients in SubSaharan