Candida spp. isolated from inpatients, the environment, and health practitioners in the pediatric unit at the Universitary Hospital of the Jundiaí Medical College, state of São Paulo, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to isolate and identify Candida spp. from the environment, health practitioners, and patients with the presumptive diagnosis of candidiasis in the Pediatric Unit at the Universitary Hospital of the Jundiaí Medical College, to verify the production of enzymes regarded as virulence factors, and to determine how susceptible the isolated samples from patients with candidiasis are to antifungal agents. METHODS: Between March and November of 2008 a total of 283 samples were taken randomly from the environment and from the hands of health staff, and samples of all the suspected cases of Candida spp. hospital-acquired infection were collected and selected by the Infection Control Committee. The material was processed and the yeast genus Candida was isolated and identified by physiological, microscopic, and macroscopic attributes. RESULTS: The incidence of Candida spp. in the environment and employees was 19.2%. The most frequent species were C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis among the workers, C. guilliermondii and C. tropicalis in the air, C. lusitanae on the contact surfaces, and C. tropicalis and C. guilliermondii in the climate control equipment. The college hospital had 320 admissions, of which 13 (4%) presented Candida spp. infections; three of them died, two being victims of a C. tropicalis infection and the remaining one of C. albicans. All the Candida spp. in the isolates evidenced sensitivity to amphotericin B, nystatin, and fluconazole. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the rate of hospital-acquired infections caused by Candida spp. indicates the need to take larger measures regarding recurrent control of the environment.

Patient satisfaction and nursing staff work satisfaction in an urban public teaching hospital

This study examined the level of patient satisfaction and nursing staff work satisfaction at an urban public hospital in the Southwestern United States. The primary objectives of this study were to determine: (1) the level of overall patient satisfaction and satisfaction with specific dimensions of hospital care; (2) the differences in patient satisfaction according to demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, and education completed) and predispositional factors (perceived health status, perceived level of pain, prior contact with the hospital, and hospital image) and the relative importance of each variable on patient satisfaction; (3) the level of overall work satisfaction and satisfaction with specific dimensions of work experienced by the medical/surgical nursing staff; (4) the differences in work satisfaction experienced by the nursing staff based on demographic variables (age, gender, ethnicity, and marital status) and professional factors (education completed, staff position, the number of years employed with the hospital, and number of years employed in nursing) and the relative importance of each variable on work satisfaction; and (5) to determine the effect of the nursing work milieu on patient and staff satisfaction.^ The study findings showed that patients experienced a moderate to low level of satisfaction with the dimensions of hospital care (admission process, daily care, information, nursing care, physician care, other hospital staff, living arrangements, and overall care). Of the eight dimensions of care, patients reported a relatively positive level of satisfaction (75 percent or better) with only one dimension: physician care. Ethnicity, perceived health status, and hospital image were significantly related to patient satisfaction. Hispanic patients, those who were in good health, and those who felt the hospital had a good image in their community were most satisfied with hospital care. Patients also reported areas of hospital care that needed the most improvement. Responses included: rude staff, better nursing care, and better communication.^ Findings from the nursing satisfaction survey indicated a low level of satisfaction with the dimensions of work (autonomy, pay, professional status, interaction, task requirements, and organizational policies). Only one dimension of work, professional status, received a mean satisfaction score in the positive range. Additionally, staff members were unanimously dissatisfied with their salaries. Frequently mentioned work-related problems reported by the staff included: staffing shortages, heavy patient loads. and excessive paperwork.^ The nursing milieu appeared to have had a significant effect on the satisfaction levels of patients nursing staff employees. The nursing staff were often short staffed, which increased the patient-to-nurse ratio. Consequently, patients did not receive the amount of attention and care they expected from the nursing staff. Crowded patient rooms allowed for little personal space and privacy. Dissatisfaction with living conditions served to influence patients' attitudes and satisfaction levels. These frustrations were often directed toward their primary caregivers, the nursing staff. Consequently, the nursing milieu appeared to directly affect and influence the satisfaction levels of both patients and staff. (Abstract shortened by UMI). ^

The effect of the shift from HMO to PPO plans on the prevalence of hospital bad debt in the insured population: A case study in two Houston-area hospitals

In spite of the dramatic increase and general concern with U.S. hospital bad debt expense (AMNews, January 12, 2004; Philadelphia Business Journal, April 30, 2004; WSJ, July 23, 2004), there appears to be little available analysis of the precise sources and causes of its growth. This is particularly true in terms of the potential contribution of insured patients to bad debt expense in light of the recent shift in managed care from health maintenance organization (HMO) plans to preferred provider organization (PPO) plans (Kaiser Annual Survey Report, 2003). This study examines and attempts to explain the recent dramatic growth in bad debt expense by focusing on and analyzing data from two Houston-area hospital providers within one healthcare system. In contrast to prior studies in which self-pay was found to be the primary source of hospital bad debt expense (Saywell, R. M., et al., 1989; Zollinger, T. W., 1991; Weissman, Joel S., et al., 1999), this study hypothesizes that the growing hospital bad debt expense is mainly due to the shifting trend away from HMOs to PPOs as a conscious decision by employers to share costs with employees. Compared to HMO plans, the structure of PPOs includes higher co-pays, coinsurance, and deductibles for the patient-pay portion of medical bills, creating the potential for an increase in bad debt for hospital providers (from a case study). This bad debt expense has a greater impact in the community hospital than in the Texas Medical Center hospital. ^

An analysis of the RightCare policy at Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, Texas

Introduction. This study is a two-part evaluation of the RightCare policy, a policy implemented to reduce crowding at the Emergency Center (EC) at Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston, Harris County, Texas. This research includes an evaluation of the policy's impact on specific hospital measures, along with a description of the policy's demise from the point of view of hospital staff. Objective. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) To determine whether RightCare policy affected the level of crowding in the Emergency Center and (2) to identify the conditions that may have led to the policy's demise. Methods. For the policy impact portion of this research, hospital measures were collected from existing databases. Analysis included a pre-post comparative design in which the 12 months preceding the policy's implementation were compared with the 12 months following the policy's implementation. For the policy perception portion, employees were surveyed using an on-line questionnaire. Results. The results of the study are mixed. Some measures improved, including time spent on ambulance diversion and the proportion of those who left without being seen, while others did not, such as return visits and total length of stay. Employees generally supported the policy, but expressed concerns over insufficient training and funding. Conclusion. The RightCare policy was a good initial attempt to improve crowded conditions in the EC. The study showed that a clearer policy design, improved training, adequate staffing levels, and better communication would improve operational outcomes in the future.^

Assessing the impact of electronic health record technology adoption on hospital labor efficiency

Information technology (IT) in the hospital organization is fast becoming a key asset, particularly in light of recent reform legislation in the United States calling for expanding the role of IT in our health care system. Future payment reductions to hospitals included in current health reform are based on expected improvements in hospital operating efficiency. Since over half of hospital expenses are for labor, improved efficiency in use of labor resources can be critical in meeting this challenge. Policy makers have touted the value of IT investments to improve efficiency in response to payment reductions. ^ This study was the first to directly examine the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) technology and staffing efficiency in hospitals. As the hospital has a myriad of outputs for inpatient and outpatient care, efficiency was measured using an industry standard performance metric – full time equivalent employees per adjusted occupied bed (FTE/AOB). Three hypotheses were tested in this study.^ To operationalize EHR technology adoption, we developed three constructs to model adoption, each of which was tested by separate hypotheses. The first hypothesis that a larger number of EHR applications used by a hospital would be associated with greater staffing efficiency (or lower values of FTE/AOB) was not accepted. Association between staffing efficiency and specific EHR applications was the second hypothesis tested and accepted with some applications showing significant impacts on observed values for FTE/AOB. Finally, the hypothesis that the longer an EHR application was used in a hospital would be associated with greater labor efficiency was not accepted as the model showed few statistically significant relationships to FTE/AOB performance. Generally, there does not appear a strong relationship between EHR usage and improved labor efficiency in hospitals.^ While returns on investment from EHR usage may not come from labor efficiencies, they may be better sought using measures of quality, contribution to an efficient and effective local health care system, and improved customer satisfaction through greater patient throughput.^

Entramado de politicidad en un ámbito estatal de trabajo : La experiencia de los trabajadores del Hospital Provincial Neuquén (2005-2013)

La presente investigación analiza el entramado de politicidad en un ámbito estatal de trabajo, a partir de la experiencia de los trabajadores del Hospital Provincial Neuquén Dr. Castro Rendón (HN) entre los años 2005 y 2013. Se propone un abordaje relacional que atienda a la configuración y redefinición de los escenarios de disputa, retomando la perspectiva de Norbert Elías. Se ha diseñado una estrategia metodológica cualitativa basada en la realización de observaciones participantes, entrevistas semi-estructuradas en profundidad y en el análisis de materiales gráficos. Se realizó un muestreo teórico de tipo no probabilístico, y las unidades de la muestra fueron seleccionadas de acuerdo a criterios relativos a la participación política y a las características de las labores hospitalarias. Los principales hallazgos de esta tesis refieren a la conceptualización de los ámbitos estatales de trabajo. Se los caracteriza como espacios donde se relacionan y se expresan múltiples grupos, resaltando los procesos socio-culturales que están implicados en las disputas políticas de los trabajadores. Se analizan la articulación entre demandas sectoriales y la disputa más general por la gestión de las políticas públicas, las regulaciones especiales que legislan el trabajo hospitalario, las distintas temporalidades de los conflictos, la vinculación con organizaciones externas, la jerarquización del espacio laboral, y la permeabilidad de lo estatal y lo no-estatal. Estos resultados permiten aportar de manera más general a las teorías sociológicas de la acción colectiva en lo que respecta a la utilización de las categorías de clase y a las identidades de los trabajadores

Entramado de politicidad en un ámbito estatal de trabajo : La experiencia de los trabajadores del Hospital Provincial Neuquén (2005-2013)

La presente investigación analiza el entramado de politicidad en un ámbito estatal de trabajo, a partir de la experiencia de los trabajadores del Hospital Provincial Neuquén Dr. Castro Rendón (HN) entre los años 2005 y 2013. Se propone un abordaje relacional que atienda a la configuración y redefinición de los escenarios de disputa, retomando la perspectiva de Norbert Elías. Se ha diseñado una estrategia metodológica cualitativa basada en la realización de observaciones participantes, entrevistas semi-estructuradas en profundidad y en el análisis de materiales gráficos. Se realizó un muestreo teórico de tipo no probabilístico, y las unidades de la muestra fueron seleccionadas de acuerdo a criterios relativos a la participación política y a las características de las labores hospitalarias. Los principales hallazgos de esta tesis refieren a la conceptualización de los ámbitos estatales de trabajo. Se los caracteriza como espacios donde se relacionan y se expresan múltiples grupos, resaltando los procesos socio-culturales que están implicados en las disputas políticas de los trabajadores. Se analizan la articulación entre demandas sectoriales y la disputa más general por la gestión de las políticas públicas, las regulaciones especiales que legislan el trabajo hospitalario, las distintas temporalidades de los conflictos, la vinculación con organizaciones externas, la jerarquización del espacio laboral, y la permeabilidad de lo estatal y lo no-estatal. Estos resultados permiten aportar de manera más general a las teorías sociológicas de la acción colectiva en lo que respecta a la utilización de las categorías de clase y a las identidades de los trabajadores

Entramado de politicidad en un ámbito estatal de trabajo : La experiencia de los trabajadores del Hospital Provincial Neuquén (2005-2013)

La presente investigación analiza el entramado de politicidad en un ámbito estatal de trabajo, a partir de la experiencia de los trabajadores del Hospital Provincial Neuquén Dr. Castro Rendón (HN) entre los años 2005 y 2013. Se propone un abordaje relacional que atienda a la configuración y redefinición de los escenarios de disputa, retomando la perspectiva de Norbert Elías. Se ha diseñado una estrategia metodológica cualitativa basada en la realización de observaciones participantes, entrevistas semi-estructuradas en profundidad y en el análisis de materiales gráficos. Se realizó un muestreo teórico de tipo no probabilístico, y las unidades de la muestra fueron seleccionadas de acuerdo a criterios relativos a la participación política y a las características de las labores hospitalarias. Los principales hallazgos de esta tesis refieren a la conceptualización de los ámbitos estatales de trabajo. Se los caracteriza como espacios donde se relacionan y se expresan múltiples grupos, resaltando los procesos socio-culturales que están implicados en las disputas políticas de los trabajadores. Se analizan la articulación entre demandas sectoriales y la disputa más general por la gestión de las políticas públicas, las regulaciones especiales que legislan el trabajo hospitalario, las distintas temporalidades de los conflictos, la vinculación con organizaciones externas, la jerarquización del espacio laboral, y la permeabilidad de lo estatal y lo no-estatal. Estos resultados permiten aportar de manera más general a las teorías sociológicas de la acción colectiva en lo que respecta a la utilización de las categorías de clase y a las identidades de los trabajadores

The impact of leadership and quality climate on hospital performance

Objective. To explore the relationship between leadership effectiveness and health-care trust performance, taking into account external quality measures and the number of patient complaints; also, to examine the role of care quality climate as a mediator. Design. We developed scales for rating leadership effectiveness and care quality climate. We then drew upon UK national indices of health-care trust performance—Commission for Health Improvement star ratings, Clinical Governance Review ratings and the number of patient complaints per thousand. We conducted statistical analysis to examine any significant relationships between predictor and outcome variables. Setting. The study is based on 86 hospital trusts run by the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. The data collection is part of an annual staff survey commissioned by the NHS to explore the quality of working life. Participants. A total of 17 949 employees were randomly surveyed (41% of the total sample). Results. Leadership effectiveness is associated with higher Clinical Governance Review ratings and Commission for Health Improvement star ratings for our sample (ß = 0.42, P < 0.05; ß = 0.37, P < 0.05, respectively), and lower patient complaints (ß = –0.57, P < 0.05). In addition, 98% of the relationship between leadership and patient complaints is explained by care quality climate. Conclusions. Results offer insight into how non-clinical leadership may foster performance outcomes for health-care organizations. A frequently neglected area—patient complaints—may be a valid measure to consider when assessing leadership and quality in a health-care context.

The link between the management of employees and patient mortality in acute hospitals

The relationship between human resource management practices and organizational performance (including quality of care in health-care organizations) is an important topic in the organizational sciences but little research has been conducted examining this relationship in hospital settings. Human resource (HR) directors from sixty-one acute hospitals in England (Hospital Trusts) completed questionnaires or interviews exploring HR practices and procedures. The interviews probed for information about the extensiveness and sophistication of appraisal for employees, the extent and sophistication of training for employees and the percentage of staff working in teams. Data on patient mortality were also gathered. The findings revealed strong associations between HR practices and patient mortality generally. The extent and sophistication of appraisal in the hospitals was particularly strongly related, but there were links too with the sophistication of training for staff, and also with the percentages of staff working in teams.

Senior management leadership, social support, job design and stressor-to-strain relationships in hospital practice

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the quality of senior management leadership on social support and job design, whose main effects on strains, and moderating effects on work stressors-to-strains relationships were assessed. Design/methodology/approach: A survey involving distribution of questionnaires was carried out on a random sample of health care employees in acute hospital practice in the UK. The sample comprised 65,142 respondents. The work stressors tested were quantitative overload and hostile environment, whereas strains were measured through job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Structural equation modelling and moderated regression analyses were used in the analysis. Findings: Quality of senior management leadership explained 75 per cent and 94 per cent of the variance of social support and job design respectively, whereas work stressors explained 51 per cent of the variance of strains. Social support and job design predicted job satisfaction and turnover intentions, as well as moderated significantly the relationships between quantitative workload/hostility and job satisfaction/turnover intentions. Research limitations/implications: The findings are useful to management and to health employees working in acute/specialist hospitals. Further research could be done in other counties to take into account cultural differences and variations in health systems. The limitations included self-reported data and percept-percept bias due to same source data collection. Practical implications: The quality of senior management leaders in hospitals has an impact on the social environment, the support given to health employees, their job design, as well as work stressors and strains perceived. Originality/value: The study argues in favour of effective senior management leadership of hospitals, as well as ensuring adequate support structures and job design. The findings may be useful to health policy makers and human resources managers. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Women at work: Nurse and intern talk to patient, coronary-intensive care unit, Douglas County Hospital, Alexandria, Minnesota

Inscription: Verso: Women at work: miscellaneous occupations.

A qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem e a Norma ISO 9001 : Aplicação empírica no Hospital CUF Infante Santo

A preocupação com a qualidade e normalização dos serviços de saúde é cada vez maior, verificando-se que, para responder às progressivas exigências dos utentes, aparecem entidades que criam normas universais, as quais pretendem a garantia da qualidade nos serviços de saúde. Contudo, a implementação de um sistema de gestão da qualidade, através da norma ISO 9001, nestas organizações, é um desafio pela dificuldade de avaliação da qualidade dos serviços prestados- cuidados de saúde. Estando presente num hospital profissional como médicos, enfermeiros e gestores, com características culturais que influenciam a forma de encarar a qualidade e a sua monitorização para a existência de uma mudança profunda, quando se implementa uma política de qualidade, é fundamental conhecer a definição da qualidade de cada profissional, membro de uma cultura e, deste modo, a sua postura perante o fenómeno. O presente trabalho tem como objectivos identificar a percepção dos enfermeiros do Hospital Cuf Infante-Santo, relativamente ao sistema de gestão da qualidade, segundo a norma ISO, e, consequentemente, investigar pontos fortes, pontos fracos, ameaças e oportunidades da implementação dessa norma nessa organização hospitalar. Para atingir os objectivos, foi desenvolvido um modelo de análise, onde se considera o relacionamento entre as características da qualidade em saúde, cultura organizacional hospitalar e do sistema da norma ISO, para o desenvolvimento da melhoria contínua na organização. Os dados, para a elaboração desta dissertação, foram recolhidos através de inquérito por questionários aos enfermeiros do Hospital Cuf Infante-Santo, que se encontravam a laborar na organização aquando da implementação da norma ISO, sendo utilizado o método quantitativo e técnicas do estudo qualitativo na análise de dados orientados para o significado das acções. Do trabalho desenvolvido, conclui-se que a percepção relativamente às alterações na qualidade dos cuidados está limitada pelo facto de a maioria dos respondentes não conhecer o sistema de qualidade (Norma ISO 9001), sendo este um dos pontos fracos para a implementação da norma ISO na organização. Deste modo, a situação diagnosticada constitui um alerta para as organizações de saúde, ao implementarem sistemas de gestão da qualidade, potencializarem os pontos fortes identificados, como a orientação dos enfermeiros para o cuidar e para o cliente e, por outro lado, evitar repetir pontos fracos, como o identificado anteriormente, através do envolvimento e formação dos seus colaboradores nas políticas da qualidade. Os enfermeiros preocupam-se com a qualidade, mas referem que não a monitorizam regularmente. Pelo que, esta necessidade com a implementação do sistema de gestão da qualidade, deverá ser corrigida, de modo a que a organização de saúde em estudo caminhe para a excelência. ABSTRACT: The concern with the quality and standardization of health services is increasing, verifying that to respond to the progressiva demands of the users, there appear entities wishing to create universal standards to ensure the quality in health services. However, implementing a quality management service, through ISO 9001 standard, in these organizations, it is a challenge by the difficulties of evaluation in the quality of the provided services - health care. Being present in a hospital professionals such as doctors, nurses and managers, with cultural characteristics that influence the way and method of facing the quality and its monitoring for the existence of a profound change, when a quality policy is implemented, it is fundamental to know the definition of the quality of each and ever professional, member of a culture, and in this way, their posture towards the phenomenon. This present study aims to identify the perceptions of nurses at the Infante-Santo CUF Hospital, relatively to the quality management system, according to the ISO standard, and consequently, investigating strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities of the implementation of this standard in that hospital organization. To achieve these aims or objectives, an analysis model was developed, which considers the relationship between the characteristics of the quality of health, hospital organizational culture and the ISO standard system, for the further development of the continuous improvement in the organization. The data for the elaboration of this dissertation was collected through questionnaire surveys done to the nurses at Infante-Santo CUF Hospital, who were working in the organization during the ISO standard implementation, being used the quantity method and techniques of the quality study in the analysis of data orientated to the meaning of actions. The developed research concluded that the perception related to the alterations in the quality of the care is limited by the majority of respondents not knowing the quality system (ISO 9001 standard), being this one of the weaknesses to the implementation of the ISO standard in the organization. Therefore, the diagnosed situation constituted a warning to the health organizations, to implement quality management systems, potentially the identified strengths, such as the orientation of the nurses to the care and to the client, and on the other hand, avoiding the repetition of weaknesses, as previously identified, through the involvement and training of its employees in the quality policies. The nurses are concerned about the quality but they refer that there is no regular monitoring. Thus, this necessity of the implementation of the quality and management system should be corrected, so that the health organization being studied should proceed to excellence.

Qualidade de vida no trabalho nos serviços de maior turnover do Hospital Nossa Senhora do Rosário, E.P.E.

O desempenho de uma atividade laboral prende-se, de um modo geral, com a necessidade de realização pessoal e profissional e a necessidade de subsistência. A qualidade de vida no trabalho envolve fatores fundamentais, desde as condições físicas do local de trabalho à progressão na carreira que, por sua vez vão influenciar a produtividade, a motivação e os custos associados à falta de qualidade dos cuidados. Cabe a cada Organização ser responsável pela manutenção e melhoria qualidade de vida dos seus colaboradores e, deste modo, com o desenvolvimento de pessoal especializado e motivado, a Organização consegue diminuir os custos e aumentar a produtividade. Esta investigação pretende identificar quais os fatores que influenciam a qualidade de vida no trabalho dos enfermeiros que desenvolvem os seus cuidados nos Serviços com maior turnover do Hospital Nossa Senhora do Rosário, E.P.E. (HNSR, E.P.E.), que são: o Serviço de Cirurgia, Medicina e a Urgência Geral. Foi elaborado um questionário dirigido aos enfermeiros prestadores de cuidados com o intuito de recolher dados relativos aos fatores que influenciam a qualidade de vida e as suas consequências (turnover, acidentes de trabalho e stress ocupacional). Os enfermeiros destacaram como principais fatores influenciadores da qualidade de vida no trabalho a sobrecarga de trabalho e a motivação para a realização do trabalho e como consequências da falta de qualidade de vida no trabalho a desmotivação e o desgaste físico e psicológico. ABSTRACT: The requirement of an employment is closely related to personal and professional fulfilments, and also to subsistence matters. The quality of life of the employee depends upon factors like physical labor conditions to range from career development. These factors will affect the performance and motivation of the employee. Each institution should be responsible for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of life of their employees. This will allow for the development of specialized staff which in turn may lead to a reduction on costs and to higher productivity. The aim of this research project is to identify the factors that have a great influence on the quality of life of nurses working on HNSR, E.P.E. departments with higher turnover. The departments with higher turnover are: surgery, medicine and emergency. ln order to collect information about the different factors influencing quality of life and their ultimate consequences, such as turnover, labor accidents and occupational stress, a questionnaire was set up. Afterwards, this questionnaire was sent to nursing care staff of HNSR, E.P.E. The nurses mention as major indicators influencing their quality of life at their job: the overload of work and motivation to care. The main stated consequences of the lack of quality life at work were: demotivation and burnout.

Diversidad alimentaria en los niños entre 6 y 23 meses de edad en el área de hospitalización de clínica y cirugía pediátrica del Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso en la ciudad de Cuenca. Ecuador 2015

ANTECEDENTES: Los dos primeros años de vida constituyen un período crítico para la nutrición de los niños. Según la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2011-2013 cerca de la mitad de niños de 6 a 11 meses no acceden a una variedad adecuada de alimentos. OBJETIVO GENERAL: Establecer la diversidad alimentaria en los niños y niñas de 6 a 23 meses de edad por un lapso de 5 meses en el año 2015 ingresados en el área de Clínica y Cirugía Pediátrica del Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso. METODOLOGÍA: Estudio descriptivo, en el levantamiento de datos se utilizó entrevistas, revisión de historias clínicas. La tabulación y análisis de los datos se efectuó en SPSS 19 empleando medidas de tendencia central y de distribución en variables cuantitativas; frecuencias y porcentajes en variables cualitativas. La muestra fue de 171 niños de 6 a 23 meses hospitalizados en el área de cirugía y clínica pediátrica del Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso. RESULTADOS: Se demostró que menos del 23% de los infantes tienen su peso normal, predominando los emaciados y emaciados severos, más marcado en las niñas. La Diversidad Alimentaria, Frecuencia Mínima de Comidas y Dieta Mínima Alimentaria en relación al sexo no arrojaron relación estadística significativa, pero se evidenció un aumento estadísticamente significativo con el incremento de la edad; siendo todos los alimentos consumidos en más del 80% de los infantes a excepción de las legumbres y nueces. Las frutas y verduras ricas en Vitamina A, lácteos y carnes son los más empleados