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Long-term outcome of children after intensive care
1Intensive Care Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
Most pediatric ICU survivors lead independent lives long-term. While young children faced higher mortality, survivors showed no increased handicap risk, indicating positive pediatric intensive care outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Long-term patient outcomes
- Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) studies
Background:
- Assessing the long-term health and functional status of children after pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission is crucial for understanding the impact of critical illness.
- Previous studies have not fully elucidated the long-term outcomes for diverse pediatric populations post-PICU.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term outcomes of children admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
- To identify factors influencing long-term outcomes, such as age and duration of PICU stay.
- To assess the rates of mortality, handicap, and functional recovery at 30-36 months post-PICU discharge.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 976 consecutive patients admitted to a single PICU over 12 months was studied.
- Patient outcomes were assessed 30 to 36 months after PICU admission.
- Data collected included mortality, presence and severity of handicap, and functional status.
Main Results:
- Of 974 children available for follow-up, 20% died.
- Among survivors, 5% had severe handicap, 2% moderate, and 12% mild handicap.
- 42% were functionally normal, and 17% required medical supervision; 80% survived long-term.
- Younger children had higher mortality but no increased risk of handicap if they survived.
Conclusions:
- The majority of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) survivors experience positive long-term outcomes, with most leading independent lives.
- Age is a factor in mortality, but not in the risk of handicap among survivors.
- Duration of PICU admission did not correlate with long-term outcomes.
Abstract:
To determine the long-term outcome of children admitted to a pediatric ICU (PICU), we studied 976 consecutive patients admitted to our PICU in the 12 months ending June 30, 1983, and evaluated their outcome 30 to 36 months after PICU admission. There was no relationship between duration of PICU admission and outcome. Young children were more likely to die than older children, but young children who survived did not have an increased risk of handicap. Of the 974 children available for follow-up, 20% died, 5% had a severe handicap, 2% had a moderate handicap, 12% had a mild handicap, 17% were functionally normal but required medical supervision, and 42% were normal. Thus, 80% of the children survived 30 months or more, and 91% of the survivors will probably lead an independent life.