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Paediatric intensive care in Harare
1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Medical School, University of Zimbabwe.
Insights
A review of pediatric intensive care in Harare found a 66.4% survival rate among 286 admitted children. The study supports the need for such critical care facilities in Zimbabwe.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Public Health
- Resource-Limited Settings
Background:
- Paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are crucial for managing critically ill children.
- Developing countries face unique challenges in providing advanced medical care.
- Zimbabwe's healthcare system sought to establish critical care services for children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the initial year of operation of a PICU in Harare, Zimbabwe.
- To identify the primary reasons for pediatric admissions.
- To assess the feasibility and impact of a PICU in a resource-limited environment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of patient records from the Harare PICU over one year.
- Analysis of admission diagnoses, patient demographics, and survival rates.
- Geographic analysis of patient origins to understand service reach.
Main Results:
- 286 children were admitted to the PICU.
- The overall survival rate was 66.4%.
- Common admissions included respiratory infections, surgical conditions, sepsis, tetanus, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and acute renal failure.
Conclusions:
- The Harare PICU demonstrated a significant survival rate, justifying its existence.
- A substantial proportion of patients (31%) traveled from outside the immediate Harare region, indicating broader need.
- The findings highlight the challenges and necessity of pediatric intensive care in Third World countries.
Abstract:
A review of 1 year's experience in the paediatric intensive care unit in Harare is presented. Two hundred and eighty-six children were admitted and 66.4% survived. The major conditions for which the children were admitted were respiratory tract infections, surgical conditions, sepsis, tetanus, the Guillain Barré syndrome and acute renal failure. Sixty-nine per cent of the children lived within 50 km of the city of Harare and 31% came from more distant parts of the country. The problems of paediatric intensive care in Third World countries are discussed and we conclude that there is justification for such a facility in Zimbabwe.