title: Early changes in SOFA score as a prognostic factor in pediatric oncology patients requiring mechanical ventilatory support.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether changes in outcome prediction scores during the first 72 hours after admission to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are more predictive of outcome than single assessments at admission in pediatric oncology patients requiring mechanical ventilatory support for more than 3 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 54 consecutive pediatric oncology patients requiring mechanical ventilation over 72 hours in the PICU of the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between January 2006 and December 2008, were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although both initial Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and change in SOFA score (Δ-SOFA) correlated well with mortality, Δ-SOFA score showed a significantly stronger correlation (P<0.001) and a larger area under the receiver operating characteristic curve than did initial SOFA score. Patients with positive and negative Δ-SOFA scores showed statistically significant differences in mortality (18.5% vs. 88.2%, P<0.001). In addition, early changes in respiratory parameters, such as PaO₂/FiO₂ (P/F) ratio, oxygenation index (OI), and ventilation index (VI), evaluated serially during the first 3 days, also correlated with mortality. Patients showing improvement in these respiratory parameters displayed significantly lower mortality than did patients with worsening of these parameters (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serial evaluation of SOFA score during the first few days after PICU admission was a good predictor of prognosis in pediatric oncology patients mechanically ventilated over 3 days. Independent of initial SOFA score, Δ-SOFA score during the first 72 hours closely correlated with outcome. Early changes in respiratory parameters, such as P/F ratio, OI, and VI, may also provide valuable prognostic information in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Seonguk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Keun Wook
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Ho Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jong Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Seong Jong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D008297:Male; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index