Incidence and Risk Factors of Perioperative Mortality in Pediatric ICU Patients

John Aubrey1,2, Hui Zha1,3,4, Koichi Yuki1,4

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Cardiac Anesthesia Division, Boston Children's Hospital, MA, USA.

Translational Perioperative and Pain Medicine
|July 7, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing procedures under general anesthesia had a 12.6% mortality rate. Positive blood stream infections, often linked to immunological disorders, were the leading risk factor for mortality in these critically ill children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Anesthesiology
  • Infectious disease

Background:

  • Limited data exists on pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing procedures under general anesthesia.
  • Understanding mortality and associated risk factors in this population is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the mortality rate of pediatric ICU patients undergoing procedures under general anesthesia.
  • To identify risk factors associated with mortality in this specific patient group.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study utilizing electronic medical records of pediatric ICU patients.
  • Analysis of mortality incidence and risk factors using univariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • Mortality was 12.6% for pediatric ICU patients undergoing procedures under general anesthesia, significantly higher than other ICU admissions (3.5% and 0.4%).
  • Key risk factors included higher ASA class, emergency cases, advanced ventilator support, inotrope use, blood transfusion, and specific surgical procedures.
  • Positive blood stream infection (BSI) showed the highest odds ratio (102.00) for mortality, with affected patients often having underlying immunological/hematological disorders.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric ICU patients undergoing procedures under general anesthesia exhibit the highest mortality within the ICU setting.
  • Positive blood stream infections are a critical risk factor, strongly associated with immunological and hematological disorders, demanding targeted interventions.
Abstract

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