title: Demographic profile and outcome analysis of pediatric intensive care patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Demographic profile and outcome can vary in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients. The aim of our study was to analyze demographic profile and outcome in a Greek PICU.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  demographic profile; co morbidities; source and diagnosis at admission; Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM III-24); Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS, pediatric); Injury Severity Score (ISS); procedures; treatment; mechanical ventilation (MV); MV days; length of stay (LOS) and the outcome at PICU discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Student's t-test; Mann-Whitney U test; Kruskall-Wallis test; χ(2) criterion with relative risk (RR) estimation; Cox regression analysis; as appropriate. Values are mean ± SD, p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  300 patients (196 boys/104 girls), aged 54.26 ± 49.93 months, were admitted due to respiratory failure (22.3%), head trauma (15.3%), seizures (13.7%), coma (9.7%), postoperative care (7.7%), polytrauma (7%), accidents (5.3%), sepsis-septic shock (5.3%), cardiovascular diseases (4.7%), metabolic diseases (3.3%), multiple organ failure syndrome (3%) and miscellaneous diseases (2.7%). PRISM III-24 score was 8.97 ± 7.79 and predicted mortality rate was 11.16% ± 18.65. MV rate was 67.3% (58.3% at admission) for 6.54 ± 14.45 days, LOS 8.85 ± 23.28 days and actual PICU mortality rate 9.7%. Patients who died had statistically worse severity scores. Significant mortality risk factors were inotropic use, PRISM III-24 > 8, MV, arterial and central venous catheterization, nosocomial infections, complications, and cancer. COX regression analysis showed that PRISM III-24 score and inotropic use were independent predictors of mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Demographic profile followed similar patterns to relevant studies while there were major differences in case mix and the severity of the disease. Mortality rate (9.7%) was relatively high but better than predicted and in accordance with the characteristics of our population.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hippokratio General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Volakli
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hippokratio General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sdougka
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hippokratio General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamiolaki
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokratio General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsonidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reizoglou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giala
keywords: mortality; mortality risk factors; pediatric intensive care unit; pediatric risk of mortality PRISM III-24