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. 2008 Jun;34(6):1076-82.
doi: 10.1007/s00134-008-1061-4. Epub 2008 Mar 21.

Surviving pediatric intensive care: physical outcome after 3 months

Hendrika Knoester  1 , Madelon B Bronner, Albert P Bos
Affiliations

Surviving pediatric intensive care: physical outcome after 3 months

Hendrika Knoester et al. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence and nature of physical and neurocognitive sequelae in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) survivors.

Design and setting: Prospective follow-up study 3 months after discharge from a 14-bed tertiary PICU in The Netherlands.

Patients and participants: The families of 250 previously healthy children unexpectedly admitted to the PICU were invited to visit the outpatient follow-up clinic for structured medical examination of the child 3 months after discharge; 186 patients were evaluated.

Measurements and results: Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) and Pediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC) values were determined at PICU discharge, at the outpatient follow-up clinic, and retrospectively before admission to the PICU. We found that 69% of children had physical sequelae. In 30% of cases these were caused by a previously unknown illness and in 39% by acquired morbidity. In 8% of the children the acquired morbidity was related to complications from PICU procedures. Three months after discharge 77% of the children had normal PCPC scores and 31% had normal POPC scores.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that PICU survival may be associated with substantial physical sequelae. Structured follow-up research, preferably by multicenter studies, is warranted in PICU survivors.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category in 186 evaluated children 24 h before PICU admission, at PICU discharge, and 3 months after PICI discharge. Columns from left to right: black, normal; light gray, mild disability; dark gray, moderate disability; white, severe disabililty; medium gray, coma/vegatative state
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pediatric Overall Performance Category in 186 evaluated children. POPC scores 24 h before PICU admission, at PICU discharge and 3 months after PICI discharge. Columns from left to right: black, normal; light gray, mild disability; dark gray, moderate disability; white, severe disabililty; medium gray, coma/vegatative state
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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