Prevalence of deep venous thrombosis in the lower extremities of children in the intensive care unit.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (LE-DVT) in children who spent at least 72 h in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU).


METHODS
Children up to the age of 17 years who spent at least 72 h in the ICU underwent lower extremity venous ultrasound at the end of their stay. Prevalence range for the sample size was calculated with a confidence interval of 95%.


RESULTS
Among 76 children who spent 3-141 days in the ICU, the prevalence of acute (and silent) DVT was 4% (confidence interval 0-9%). All three affected children had femoral venous catheters in that leg during their ICU stay (17 unaffected children also had catheters).


CONCLUSIONS
Children in an ICU setting are at significantly lower risk for thrombosis than adults in the same setting.
DeAngelis
G A
GA
Department of Radiology, Box 170, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
McIlhenny
J
J
Willson
D F
DF
Vittone
S
S
Dwyer
S J
SJ
Gibson
J C
JC
Alford
B A
BA
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000295:instrumentation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018401:Sample Size; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014768:Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology