Association between phosphate and 30-day in-hospital mortality in paediatric ICU: a retrospective cohort study

Yiyi Ding1,2, Yaqin Lei2, Yufang Zhu2

  • 1Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

BMJ Paediatrics Open
|December 31, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Serum phosphate levels impact paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) mortality. Both low and high phosphate levels increase the risk of death within 30 days in PICU patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Biostatistics

Background:

  • Paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) mortality rates are significant.
  • Serum phosphate level abnormalities are linked to adverse outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
  • The association between admission serum phosphate and PICU mortality remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between serum phosphate concentrations upon admission and 30-day mortality in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 12,881 PICU patients from 2010-2018.
  • Utilized data from the PIC database.
  • Employed multiple linear regression and generalized additive models to assess phosphate-mortality associations.

Main Results:

  • A significant positive association was found between serum phosphate and 30-day PICU mortality (OR 1.27).
  • A non-linear, U-shaped relationship between serum phosphate and mortality was identified.
  • A critical serum phosphate concentration of 1.2 mmol/L was determined, with inverse correlation below and positive correlation above this threshold.

Conclusions:

  • Serum phosphate levels exhibit a U-shaped relationship with 30-day mortality in the PICU.
  • Both hypophosphataemia (low phosphate) and hyperphosphataemia (high phosphate) are associated with increased mortality risk.
  • Admission serum phosphate levels are a significant predictor of mortality in paediatric intensive care.
Abstract