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Outcome of paediatric intensive care survivors

Hendrika Knoester1, Martha A Grootenhuis, Albert P Bos

  • 1Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, 1105, AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. h.knoester@amc.uva.nl

European Journal of Pediatrics
|September 8, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Critically ill children surviving paediatric intensive care often experience physical and psychological issues affecting their quality of life. Parents also commonly face psychological sequelae, highlighting the need for further research and support.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Child health outcomes
  • Quality of life research

Background:

  • Paediatric intensive care has improved survival rates for critically ill children.
  • Significant physical and psychological sequelae, impacting quality of life (QoL), are known in adult intensive care unit (ICU) survivors.
  • Understanding these sequelae is crucial for optimizing treatment and support during and after acute care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively review current knowledge on physical and psychological sequelae in survivors of paediatric intensive care.
  • To assess the impact of these sequelae on the quality of life of paediatric survivors.
  • To identify common sequelae experienced by parents of these survivors.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic computerised search of online databases was conducted.
  • Studies reporting sequelae in paediatric intensive care survivors were included, excluding cardiothoracic surgery, trauma, and mortality-only studies.
  • Twenty-seven studies involving 3,444 survivors met the inclusion criteria for analysis.

Main Results:

  • Distinct physical and psychological sequelae were identified in paediatric intensive care survivors, negatively affecting their quality of life.
  • Psychological sequelae were frequently observed in parents of survivors.
  • Methodological limitations and heterogeneity across studies pose challenges for definitive data interpretation.

Conclusions:

  • Paediatric intensive care survivors and their parents experience physical and psychological sequelae that impact quality of life.
  • Further well-designed prospective studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term sequelae related to the original illness and its treatment.
  • Improved understanding can inform better clinical management and support strategies for this population.

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