Real‐world etiologies and treatments of pediatric short bowel syndrome in Japan

BACKGROUND: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a rare disease that can result in intestinal failure (IF). Short bowel syndrome intestinal failure leads to stunted growth and development and high mortality rates. The primary goal of treatment is to enhance intestinal adaptation and nutrient absorption. Parenteral nutrition (PN) is used to support this process until enteral autonomy can be restored. Some patients experience prolonged partial or complete dependency on PN and face an increased risk of life‐threatening catheter‐related bloodstream infections and intestinal failure‐associated liver disease. This study aimed to provide real‐world insights into the patient characteristics and treatment dynamics of PN‐dependent children with SBS‐IF in Japan. METHODS: This retrospective observational study used anonymized information from a large hospital‐based medical insurance database to identify pediatric patients who received PN for ≥6 months between April 2008 and January 2020. The primary endpoint was weaning from PN. Secondary endpoints included duration and complications of PN. RESULTS: Forty‐eight children (mean age, 2.9 years) were eligible for inclusion. The most common causes of SBS‐IF were mechanical bowel obstruction, functional bowel disorders, and Hirschsprung's disease. Twenty‐two patients (45.8%) were weaned from PN during the study. The mean time to first weaning was 464.2 days and five patients (22.7%) restarted PN. The mean total duration of PN was 692.6 days in weaned patients and 1,170.9 days in unweaned patients. The most frequent complications were sepsis, catheter infections (both 79.2%), and liver dysfunction (64.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients with SBS‐IF faced difficulties when weaning off PN and rates of life‐threatening complications were high.