OBJECTIVES: To develop a clinical database for pediatric patients in nutrition therapy, to computerize the database turning it into an electronic protocol, to make the multicentric use of the database possible. METHOD: The database was developed based on medical literature search, using textbooks and scientific studies about pediatric nutrition therapy. It was initially organized in one master protocol and after that divided into two specific protocols, one for patient's admission and other one for evolution. The database computerization was performed using a software developed in the C# (C sharp) language, by the electronic laboratory for clinical research at the Hospital of Clinics from Federal University of Paraná. RESULTS: The electronic protocol allows data collection of clinical, laboratorial and radiological parameters. The final version includes 6694 parameters, 392 distributed in Admission and 6302 in Evolution. CONCLUSION: the creation of a database for pediatric patients in nutrition therapy was possible, the computerization of this database was reliable, there is the possibility of integration between different medical centers for development of multicentric studies, the application of the electronic protocol in the mentioned group of patients was reliable.
Nutritional therapy; Enteral nutrition; Parenteral nutrition; Clinical protocol
