Oxyradical species and their relationship to pathophysiology in pediatric critical care illness

Although energy metabolism is more efficient for the aerobic organism, oxyradical host autoinjury represents an attendant hazard. Generation of the toxic oxygen species is ubiquitous in an oxygen environment. Although several inducible enzyme systems have evolved to detoxify these various oxygen species, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids remain at particular risk for oxyradical sabotage. Many critical care illnesses involve oxyradical pathophysiology. Aside from supportive care, future intervention for these problems may involve manipulation of the oxyradical causality.