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Serum Vitamin D Status and Outcome in Critically Ill Children
Nazik Aşılıoğlu1, Halit Çiǧdem2, Muhammed Sükrü Paksu1
1Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Ondokuz Mayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Insights
Vitamin D deficiency is common in critically ill children, affecting 58.5%. Low vitamin D levels were linked to increased vasopressor needs but not mortality in pediatric intensive care unit patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Endocrinology
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Vitamin D is crucial for overall health.
- Pediatric critical illness is a significant health concern globally.
- Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is well-researched in adult critical illness but less so in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Vitamin D status in critically ill children in North Turkey.
- To identify factors influencing Vitamin D levels in this population.
- To examine the relationship between Vitamin D status and clinical outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of patients aged 1 month to 18 years admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
- 25-hydroxy Vitamin D levels were measured within 24 hours of admission.
- Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) was defined as levels below 20 ng/mL.
Main Results:
- Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) was prevalent, found in 58.5% of pediatric patients.
- Older age and winter season were statistically associated with VDD.
- Patients with VDD were older, heavier, and more likely to require catecholamines.
Conclusions:
- High prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in critically ill children.
- Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased vasopressor requirements.
- No significant association found between VDD and other severity markers, including mortality.
Background:
Vitamin D is a pleiotropic hormone essential for optimal health. Critical illness in children is a major cause of significant health-care utilization and mortality around the world. The association of Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in critically ill adults has been well-studied, in comparison, the importance of Vitamin D in pediatric critical illness has been much less studied.
Aim And Objectives:
This study aimed to assess Vitamin D status and its determinants in patients admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in North of Turkey. We also investigated the association between Vitamin D status and clinical outcomes.
Materials And Methods:
All patients aged 1 month to 18 years admitted to the PICU of a tertiary care hospital who had levels of 25-hydroxy Vitamin D available within 24 h of admission were included in this retrospective study. VDD was defined as <20 ng/mL levels.
Results:
VDD was observed in 120 (58.5*) children. In multivariable linear regression model, only identified patient age and winter season as statistically associated with VDD. Vitamin D deficient patients were older and heavier and were more likely to receive catecholamine. There was no association between Vitamin D deficiency and other illness severity factors including mortality.
Conclusions:
Hypovitaminosis D occurrence was high in critically ill children and was associated with higher vasopressor requirement but not with other markers of illness severity including mortality.
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