[Self-reported quality of life of pediatric patients discharged from the Intensive Care Unit]

The experience of hospitalization in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) affects several dimensions of the quality of life of the pediatric patient at discharge. These effects may be related to factors such as diagnoses, invasive procedures and disruption of their family ties. The objective was to measure the quality of life of children discharged from the PICU area, using the Kidscreen self-reporting instrument 27.

A quantitative approach of the analytical observational type was carried out, the population was made up of children who were hospitalized in the PICU for more than forty-eight hours and who are in their home environment. The Kidscreen 27 instrument was applied, which evaluated five dimensions of quality of life to forty-seven children between eight and eighteen years old. The correlation analysis used was the Mann-Whitney U statistical test.

The results showed statistical significant differences in quality of life between genders with a P value=0.002, with lower scores in physical activity in girls. Furthermore, respiratory pathologies were the main cause of admission to the PICU with 27.6%, highlighting the importance of family and social support. Finally, 89.9% of children underwent catheter and probe insertion procedures.

Multidisciplinary interventions and the need for a holistic approach in post-ICU care are required, with the aim of improving the quality of life of children and being able to reduce sequelae during their re-entry into society.