title: How is mechanical ventilation employed in a pediatric intensive care unit in Brazil?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between mechanical ventilation and mortality and the practice of mechanical ventilation applied in children admitted to a high-complexity pediatric intensive care unit in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study of all consecutive patients admitted to a Brazilian high-complexity PICU who were placed on mechanical ventilation for 24 hours or more, between October 1(st), 2005 and March 31(st), 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 241 patients admitted, 86 (35.7%) received mechanical ventilation for 24 hours or more. Of these, 49 met inclusion criteria and were thus eligible to participate in the study. Of the 49 patients studied, 45 had chronic functional status. The median age of participants was 32 months and the median length of mechanical ventilation use was 6.5 days. The major indication for mechanical ventilation was acute respiratory failure, usually associated with severe sepsis / septic shock. Pressure ventilation modes were the standard ones. An overall 10.37% incidence of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome was found, in addition to tidal volumes > 8 ml/kg, as well as normo- or hypocapnia. A total of 17 children died. Risk factors for mortality within 28 days of admission were initial inspiratory pressure, pH, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, oxygenation index and also oxygenation index at 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. Initial inspiratory pressure was also a predictor of mechanical ventilation for periods longer than 7 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the admitted children, 35.7% received mechanical ventilation for 24 h or more. Pressure ventilation modes were standard. Of the children studied, 91% had chronic functional status. There was a high incidence of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, but a lung-protective strategy was not fully implemented. Inspiratory pressure at the beginning of mechanical ventilation was a predictor of mortality within 28 days and of a longer course of mechanical ventilation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo - São Paulo/SP, Brazil. dafnecbs@usp.br
authors.forename: Dafne Cardoso Bourguignon da
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Audrey Rie Ogawa
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Julio A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.forename: Eduardo Juan
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Troster
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000401:mortality*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013990:Tidal Volume / Q000502:physiology