How to manage paediatric intestinal failure

Management of paediatric intestinal failure has come a long way since the advent of parenteral nutrition in the 1960s. Our understanding of the normal physiology of the gastrointestinal tract together with deeper understanding about the pathophysiology of some of the conditions that leads to intestinal failure has meant that management is more targeted than previously. This article aims to focus on the application of pathophysiological understanding of intestinal failure in its management and give some direction in managing some common complications intestine failure. It will cover both surgical as well as medical (including dietetic) treatments that can help children with intestinal failure to achieve enteral autonomy.