Claire Procter1, Brenda Morrow2, Genee Pienaar3, Mary Shelton4, Andrew Argent1. 1. Pediatric Intensive Care, Division of Pediatric Critical Care and Children's Heart Disease, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 2. Department of Paediatrics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 3. Public Health, Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, Western Cape Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa. 4. Reference Librarian, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Abstract
AIM: To describe the long-term health outcomes of children admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed. Studies of children under 18 years of age admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit were included. Studies focussed on neonatal admissions and investigating specific paediatric intensive care unit interventions or admission diagnoses were excluded. A table was created summarising the study characteristics and main findings. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for observational studies. Primary outcome was short-, medium- and long-term mortality. Secondary outcomes included measures of neurodevelopment, cognition, physical, behavioural and psychosocial function as well as quality of life. RESULTS: One hundred and eleven studies were included, most were conducted in high-income countries and focussed on short-term outcomes. Mortality during admission ranged from 1.3 to 50%. Mortality in high-income countries reduced over time but this trend was not evident for lower income countries. Higher income countries had lower standardised mortality rates than lower income countries. Children had an ongoing increased risk of death for up to 10 years following intensive care admission as well as increased physical and psychosocial morbidity compared to healthy controls, with associated poorer quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited high-level evidence for the long-term health outcomes of children after intensive care admission, with the burden of related morbidity remaining greater in poorly resourced regions. Further research is recommended to identify risk factors and modifiable factors for poor outcomes, which could be targeted in practice improvement initiatives.
AIM: To describe the long-term health outcomes of children admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed. Studies of children under 18 years of age admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit were included. Studies focussed on neonatal admissions and investigating specific paediatric intensive care unit interventions or admission diagnoses were excluded. A table was created summarising the study characteristics and main findings. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for observational studies. Primary outcome was short-, medium- and long-term mortality. Secondary outcomes included measures of neurodevelopment, cognition, physical, behavioural and psychosocial function as well as quality of life. RESULTS: One hundred and eleven studies were included, most were conducted in high-income countries and focussed on short-term outcomes. Mortality during admission ranged from 1.3 to 50%. Mortality in high-income countries reduced over time but this trend was not evident for lower income countries. Higher income countries had lower standardised mortality rates than lower income countries. Children had an ongoing increased risk of death for up to 10 years following intensive care admission as well as increased physical and psychosocial morbidity compared to healthy controls, with associated poorer quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited high-level evidence for the long-term health outcomes of children after intensive care admission, with the burden of related morbidity remaining greater in poorly resourced regions. Further research is recommended to identify risk factors and modifiable factors for poor outcomes, which could be targeted in practice improvement initiatives.
Authors: José A Hordijk; Sascha C Verbruggen; Corinne M Buysse; Elisabeth M Utens; Koen F Joosten; Karolijn Dulfer Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2022-03-31 Impact factor: 3.440