[Prognostic factors in a pediatric intensive care unit].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the mortality prognostic factors from a pediatric intensive care unit.


METHODS
Retrolective cohort study with an analysis of cases and controls (ambidirectional design). PLACE OF STUDY: The intensive care unit at a Pediatric Third Level Hospital.


METHODS
All of the patients admitted into the I.C.U. for a year (August 1989 to August 1990).


METHODS
The patients were identified when admitted into I.C.U., while evaluating their clinical course through their charts. Afterwards, they were placed into two groups, those who died while in I.C.U. (n = 49) and those in the control group which constituted the initial cohort survivors (n = 115). The prognostic factors evaluated were age, sex, diagnosis when admitted, organic failure, changes in diagnosis and treatment.


RESULTS
164 patients were studied, with a slight predominance of the male sex (53%). The patient's age fluctuated between 1 day and 17 years of age, with a mean age of 10 months. The diagnosis established when admitted were predominantly dealing with infectious problems (n = 54, 32%). The most important prognostic factors seen during the bivaried analysis were the peritoneal dialysis (RM = 12.71, IC 95% = 2.41-98.29, P less than 0.01); a Glasgow index less than or equal to 10 points (RM = 7.33, IC 95% = 1.25-47.26, P less than 0.01), respiratory organic failure (RM = 6.32, IC 95% = 2.46-16.8, P less than 0.01) and assisted mechanical ventilation (RM = 5.61, IC 95% = 2.52-12.68, P less than 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The mortality rate in I.C.U. was 30%. The most important prognostic factors associated to mortality after adjusting for severity were having a cardiovascular ailment, the need to administer blood products, a Glasgow index less than or equal to 10 points, heart and hematologic organic failure and when respiratory mechanical assistance was provided.
Garduño-Espinosa
J
J
Unidad de Epidemiología Clínica, Hospital de Pediatría, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México, D.F.
Campos-Leyva
M E
ME
Fajardo-Gutiérrez
A
A
Márquez-Enríquez
L M
LM
Martínez-García
M C
MC
D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009026:Mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors
Factores pronósticos en una unidad de terapia intensiva pediátrica.