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[A sixteen-year epidemiological profile of a pediatric intensive care unit, Brazil]

Paulo Roberto Einloft1, Pedro Celiny Garcia, Jefferson Pedro Piva

  • 1Serviço de Terapia Intensiva e Emergência, Hospital São Lucas, Faculdade de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.

Revista De Saude Publica
|December 19, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) data reveal higher mortality rates in malnourished children under 12 months. Sepsis is the primary cause of death in this vulnerable pediatric population.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Epidemiology
  • Public health

Context:

  • A retrospective analysis of patients admitted to a Brazilian Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) between 1978 and 1994.
  • The study aimed to understand the epidemiological profile of critically ill children and identify factors associated with mortality.

Purpose:

  • To review epidemiological data of patients admitted to a PICU in Brazil.
  • To compare medical aspects related to disease severity and mortality.
  • To profile patients, including demographics, disease prevalence, and mortality rates.

Summary:

  • A total of 13,101 patients were analyzed. The majority were male (58.4%), under 12 months old (40.4%), well-nourished (69.5%), and had clinical disease (73.1%).
  • The overall mortality rate was 7.4%. Infants under 12 months had a relative risk (RR) of 1.86 for mortality, and malnutrition showed an RR of 2.98.
  • Sepsis was identified as the leading cause of death.

Impact:

  • Highlights the critical impact of malnutrition and young age on pediatric mortality in intensive care settings.
  • Provides essential data for targeted interventions and resource allocation in pediatric critical care in Brazil.
  • Informs public health strategies aimed at improving nutritional status and reducing sepsis-related deaths in young children.
Abstract

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