ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and pulmonary aspiration are frequent in patients in the ICU. The presence of pepsin in airways seems to be the link between them. However, pepsin isoforms A (gastric specific) and C (pneumocyte potentially derived) need to be distinguished. This study aimed to evaluate GER patterns and to determine the presence of pepsin A and C in tracheal secretions of critically ill children receiving mechanical ventilation. METHODS: All patients underwent combined multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH (MII-pH) monitoring. Tracheal secretion samples were collected to determine the presence of pepsin. Pepsin A and C were evaluated by Western blot. MII-pH parameters analyzed were number of total GER episodes (NGER); acid, weakly acidic, and weakly alkaline GER episodes; and proximal and distal GER episodes. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (median age, 4 months; range, 1-174 months) were included. MII-pH monitoring detected 2,172 GER episodes (77.0% were weakly acidic; 71.7% were proximal). The median NGER episodes per patient was 59.5 (25th-75th percentile, 20.3-85.3). Weakly acidic GER episodes per patient were significantly more frequent than acid GER episodes per patient (median [25th-75th percentile], 43.5 [20.3-68.3] vs 1.0 [0-13.8], respectively; P < .001). Only three patients had an altered acid reflux index (44.9%, 12.7%, and 13.6%) while not taking antacid drugs. Pepsin A was found in 100% of samples and pepsin C in 76.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of GER episodes of children in the ICU were proximal and weakly acidic. All patients had aspiration of gastric contents as detected by pepsin A in tracheal fluid. A specific pepsin assay should be performed to establish gastropulmonary aspiration because pepsin C was found in > 70% of samples.
Subject(s)
Bodily Secretions/chemistry , Critical Illness , Gastroesophageal Reflux , Pepsin A/analysis , Trachea , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Enteral Nutrition , Female , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric , Male , Prospective Studies , Respiration, ArtificialABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of children submitted to prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV), and evaluate their mortality, and associated factors as well as the potential impact at admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study enrolling all children admitted to three Brazilian PICUs between January 2003 and December 2005 submitted to MV > or =21 days. The three selected PICUs were located in university-affiliated hospitals. From the medical charts were reported anthropometric data, diagnosis, ventilator parameters on the 21st day, length of MV, length of stay in the PICU, specific interventions (e.g., tracheostomy), and outcome. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-four children (190 admissions) were submitted to prolonged MV (2.5% of all admissions to these 3 Brazilian PICUs), with a median age of 6 months. The mortality rate was 48% and the median time on MV was 32 days. Tracheostomy was performed on only 19% of the patients and, on average after 32 days of intubation. Mortality was associated with peak inspiratory pressure >25 cm H2O (odds ratio = 2.3; 1.1-5.1), fraction of inspired oxygen >0.5 (odds ratio = 6.3; 2.2-18.1), and vasoactive drug infusion (odds ratio = 2.6; 1.1-5.9) on the 21st day of MV. Seventy-six children (1% of the all admissions) were dependent on MV without other organ failures were 830 PICU admissions and were potentially prevented. CONCLUSIONS: A small group of children admitted to the PICU requires prolonged MV. The elevated mortality rate is associated with higher ventilatory parameters and vasoactive drug support on the 21st day of MV. Stable children requiring prolonged MV in the PICU potentially prevent additional admissions of a large number of acute and unstable patients.
Subject(s)
Intensive Care Units, Pediatric , Respiration, Artificial/mortality , Brazil/epidemiology , Child , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Patient Admission , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Time FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil on children's cognitive and global performance. METHODS: An observational, longitudinal study of a sequential sample of critically ill children. The following indicators were used: the Pediatric Index of Mortality (PIM), for severity and risk of death at admission, the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC), for cognitive morbidity and the Pediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC), for global morbidity, at admission and at discharge. Morbidity related to the ICU was measured according to the difference between classifications at discharge and at admission (delta scores). The Kruskal-Wallis test was applied. RESULTS: A total of 443 patients were assessed, 54% of whom were male, with a median age of 12 months (IQ 4-45), and a median ICU stay of 4.24 days (IQ 2.4-8). The mortality rate was 6.3%. The median PIM score was 2.36% (IQ 1-7). On admission, 46% of the patients had some degree of cognitive morbidity and 66% had some degree of global morbidity. At discharge there was 60% cognitive morbidity and 86% global morbidity. The assessment of ICU-related morbidity revealed that 25% of the patients had undergone cognitive changes while 41% had undergone global variations, at discharge compared with admission. CONCLUSIONS: Although affected by the elevated degree of morbidity at admission, the impact of the ICU stay was more significant in the global than in the cognitive domain. In the same manner, both risk of death at admission and length of stay had a significant effect on the morbidity of severely ill patients.
Subject(s)
Cognition Disorders/epidemiology , Critical Illness/therapy , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric/statistics & numerical data , Acute Disease , Brazil , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Length of Stay , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Prognosis , Risk Factors , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
OBJETIVO: Avaliar o impacto da internação sobre os desempenhos cognitivo e global em crianças admitidas na unidade de tratamento intensivo (UTI) pediátrica do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. MÉTODOS: Estudo longitudinal, observacional de amostra seqüencial de crianças gravemente doentes. Foram utilizados os indicadores Pediatric Index of Mortality (PIM), para gravidade e risco de morte na admissão, Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC), para morbidade cognitiva, e Pediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC), para morbidade global, na admissão e na alta. Para morbidade relacionada à UTI, foi utilizada a diferença entre as classificações de alta e de admissão (escores delta). Foi empregado o teste de Kruskal-Wallis. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliados 443 pacientes, sendo 54 por cento do sexo masculino, com mediana de idade de 12 meses (IQ 4-45), e mediana de permanência na UTI de 4,24 dias (IQ 2,4-8). A taxa de mortalidade foi de 6,3 por cento. A mediana do PIM foi de 2,36 por cento (IQ 1-7). Na admissão, 46 por cento dos pacientes tinham algum grau de morbidade cognitiva e 66 por cento de morbidade global. Na alta, 60 por cento de morbidade cognitiva e 86 por cento de morbidade global. Na avaliação de morbidade relacionada à UTI, 25 por cento dos pacientes mostraram variação na área cognitiva, enquanto que 41 por cento mostraram variação global na alta em comparação à admissão. CONCLUSÕES: Ainda que influenciado por elevado grau de morbidade na admissão, o impacto da internação na UTI foi mais importante no domínio global do que no cognitivo. Da mesma forma, tanto o risco de morte na admissão quanto o tempo de permanência tiveram efeito significativo na morbidade dos pacientes gravemente doentes.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil on children's cognitive and global performance. METHODS: An observational, longitudinal study of a sequential sample of critically ill children. The following indicators were used: the Pediatric Index of Mortality (PIM), for severity and risk of death at admission, the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC), for cognitive morbidity and the Pediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC), for global morbidity, at admission and at discharge. Morbidity related to the ICU was measured according to the difference between classifications at discharge and at admission (delta scores). The Kruskal-Wallis test was applied. RESULTS: A total of 443 patients were assessed, 54 percent of whom were male, with a median age of 12 months (IQ 4-45), and a median ICU stay of 4.24 days (IQ 2.4-8). The mortality rate was 6.3 percent. The median PIM score was 2.36 percent (IQ 1-7). On admission, 46 percent of the patients had some degree of cognitive morbidity and 66 percent had some degree of global morbidity. At discharge there was 60 percent cognitive morbidity and 86 percent global morbidity. The assessment of ICU-related morbidity revealed that 25 percent of the patients had undergone cognitive changes while 41 percent had undergone global variations, at discharge compared with admission. CONCLUSIONS: Although affected by the elevated degree of morbidity at admission, the impact of the ICU stay was more significant in the global than in the cognitive domain. In the same manner, both risk of death at admission and length of stay had a significant effect on the morbidity of severely ill patients.
Subject(s)
Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Cognition Disorders/epidemiology , Critical Illness/therapy , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric/statistics & numerical data , Acute Disease , Brazil , Length of Stay , Longitudinal Studies , Prognosis , Risk Factors , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of systemic inflammatory syndromes on admission to a tertiary-care university pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), and relate this to length of hospital stay, risk of death and mortality rate. METHODS: Cross-sectional, prospective, observational study, including all patients admitted to the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) ICU between August 1st 1999 and July 31st 2000. Patient demographic variables were considered together with the risk of mortality on admission, co-morbidities, length of hospital stay and ICU outcome, in addition to variables that characterize the systemic inflammatory syndromes (systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock). RESULTS: We studied 447 admissions of 388 patients; 54% were male, with a median age of 20 months. The prevalence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) was 68%: 2/3 infectious (sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock) and 1/3 non-infectious. Risk of mortality scores for patients with infectious SIRS were higher than for those with non-infectious SIRS (6.75% [P25 = 2.25 - P75 = 21.3] vs. 2.35% [P25 = 1.1 - P75 = 6.7]; p = 0) and increased according to SIRS severity (2.9; 10.85, 43.9%; p < 0.05). The observed mortality was 12% for patients with SIRS and 5.8% for those without SIRS (p = 0.057); the observed mortality for infectious SIRS was 14.9% and for non-infectious 6.3% (p = 0.041). The period spent in ICU for infectious SIRS was longer than for non-infectious cases: 3 days (P25 = 2 - P75 = 7) vs. 2 days (P25 = 1.5 - P75 = 4); p = 0.006. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence rate of patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome upon admission to HCPA pediatric intensive care unit was elevated, with a predominance of infectious syndromes, responsible for longer stays, increased risk of mortality and increased mortality of patients during the period evaluated.
Subject(s)
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/epidemiology , Adolescent , Brazil/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Infant , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric , Length of Stay , Male , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/mortalityABSTRACT
OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalência das síndromes inflamatórias sistêmicas na admissão em uma unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI) pediátrica universitária terciária e os respectivos tempo de permanência, probabilidade de morte e taxa de mortalidade. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal prospectivo observacional, com todos os pacientes admitidos na UTI do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) entre 1º de agosto de 1999 e 31 de julho de 2000. Foram estudadas as variáveis demográficas dos pacientes, o risco de morte na admissão, co-morbidades, tempo de permanência e desfecho na UTI, além das variáveis que caracterizam as síndromes inflamatórias sistêmicas (síndrome da resposta inflamatória sistêmica, sepse, sepse grave e choque séptico). RESULTADOS: Foram estudadas 447 admissões de 388 pacientes; 54 por cento deles eram do sexo masculino, com mediana de idade de 20 meses. A prevalência de síndrome da resposta inflamatória sistêmica (SRIS) foi 68 por cento: 2/3 infecciosas (sepse, sepse grave ou choque séptico) e 1/3 não-infecciosas. O risco de morte dos pacientes com SRIS infecciosa foi maior do que naqueles com SRIS não-infecciosa (6,75 por cento [P25 = 2,25 e P75 = 21,3] versus 2,35 por cento [P25 = 1,1 e P75 = 6,7]; p = 0) e crescente de acordo com a sua gravidade (2,9; 10,85 e 43,9 por cento; p < 0,05). A mortalidade observada foi 12 por cento nos pacientes com SRIS e 5,8 por cento sem SRIS (p = 0,057); na SRIS infecciosa, a mortalidade observada foi 14,9 por cento e, na não-infecciosa, foi de 6,3 por cento (p = 0,041). A permanência na UTI na SRIS infecciosa foi significativamente superior à não-infecciosa: 3,0 dias (P25 = 2 e P75 = 7) versus 2 dias (P25 = 1,5 e P75 = 4), com p = 0,006. CONCLUSÕES: A taxa de prevalência de pacientes com síndrome da resposta inflamatória sistêmica na admissão da unidade de terapia intensiva pediátrica do HCPA foi elevada, com predomínio das síndromes infecciosas, associadas à maior permanência, risco de morte e mortalidade dos pacientes no período avaliado.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric , Patient Admission , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/epidemiology , Brazil/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Length of Stay , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/mortalityABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent of use of drugs not appropriate for children in prescriptions issued in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), according to FDA standards. METHODS: Observational cross-sectional study. The prescriptions issued to all patients admitted to the PICU at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, over a six-week period were assessed. Patients' age, sex, weight, prior disease, reason for admission to the PICU and pediatric index of mortality (PIM) were recorded, as were all drugs prescribed, their indications, presentations, doses, frequencies and means of administration. Adequacy for prescription of drugs in three pediatric age ranges was defined according to USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval classification, based on the USP DI 2001 drug reference database. RESULTS: Data were obtained in the months of July and August 2002, on different days, for six consecutive weeks, based on prescriptions issued to 51 patients in 54 admissions to the PICU. Median patient age was 10.5 months; 61% of patients were male. Two thirds of patients (65%) presented prior disease. 87% of admissions were due to clinical reasons, of which 57% were respiratory complaints. A total of 747 prescription items were registered, with prevalence of 10.5% for non-approved uses and 49.5% for off-label uses. No statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of prevalence of irregular prescription either by the three age ranges or by level of severity of disease at admission (according to PIM risk categories). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of prescription of drugs not appropriate for children confirms, in the Brazilian context, the inadequate and inadvertent use of drugs either not approved or off-label for PICU use. This demonstrates the need to encourage further studies on the quality, efficacy and safety of drugs for pediatric use.
Subject(s)
Pharmaceutical Preparations , Adolescent , Brazil , Child , Child, Preschool , Contraindications , Cross-Sectional Studies , Drug Interactions , Drug Prescriptions/statistics & numerical data , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions , Female , Humans , Infant , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric , Male , Medication ErrorsABSTRACT
OBJETIVO: Avaliar a extensäo do uso de medicamentos näo apropriados para crianças em prescriçöes de uma unidade de tratamento intensivo pediátrica (UTIP) terciária, de acordo com os padröes estabelecidos pela FDA. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, observacional, baseado na avaliaçäo das prescriçöes de todos os pacientes admitidos na UTIP do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, no período de seis semanas consecutivas. Foram considerados idade, sexo, peso, doença prévia, motivo de admissäo na UTIP, e PIM (pediatric index of mortality) dos pacientes, e todos os medicamentos prescritos e suas indicaçöes, com as respectivas apresentaçöes, doses, freqüências e vias de administraçäo. O critério de adequaçäo na prescriçäo dos medicamentos seguiu a classificaçäo de aprovaçäo da FDA, baseada no catálogo de informaçöes de medicamentos USP DI 2001, em três faixas etárias pediátricas. RESULTADOS: Os dados foram obtidos nos meses de julho e agosto de 2002, em diferentes dias, de seis semanas consecutivas, baseados nas prescriçöes de 51 pacientes em 54 admissöes de UTIP. A mediana de idade dos pacientes foi 10,5 meses, sendo 61 por cento do sexo masculino. Dois terços (65 por cento) dos pacientes apresentavam doença prévia, e 87 por cento das admissöes ocorreram por motivos clínicos, sendo 57 por cento por causas respiratórias. Foram registrados 747 itens de prescriçäo, com prevalências de 10,5 por cento para medicamentos näo aprovados e 49,5 por cento para medicamentos näo padronizados. A distribuiçäo das prevalências de prescriçäo, tanto pela faixa etária quanto pelo nível de gravidade dos pacientes na admissäo (de acordo com as categorias de risco do PIM), nas três classes de medicamentos, näo mostrou diferença estatística entre os grupos. CONCLUSÄO: A alta prevalência de prescriçöes com medicamentos näo apropriados para crianças confirma, também no nosso meio, o uso inadequado e inadvertido de medicamentos näo testados ou de apresentaçöes näo padronizadas para crianças em UTIP. Isso aponta para a necessidade de estimular a realizaçäo de estudos sobre qualidade, eficácia e segurança de medicamentos para uso pediátrico
