GuidelinesPEML (Paeds Hospital STG)
PICA
PICA
General and supportive measures
ICD-10 code: F98.3
DESCRIPTION
This is the persistent eating of non-nutritive, non-food substances for more than a month, inappropriate to developmental level. The ingestion is out of keeping with cultural and social norms.
GENERAL AND SUPPORTIVE MEASURES
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, e.g. zinc, iron, should be excluded.
- Physical examination.
- Explore co-morbid conditions, e.g. autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, schizophrenia, OCD, impulse control disorders.
Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List for South Africa, Hospital Level, Paediatrics, 2023 Edition
Chapter 14: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 14.8 Feeding And Eating Disorders, 14.8.1 PICA