title: [Hospital morbidity and mortality in children with Down's syndrome: Experience in a university hospital in Chile].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children with Down's syndrome (DS) have a higher risk of congenital malformations and acute diseases, with increased risk of hospital admissions compared with the general population. This study describes patterns of hospital admissions for children and adolescents with DS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of hospital admissions of children with DS, younger than 15 years old, and cared for by the Paediatric Department of the Hospital Clínico Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, between 2008 and 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 222 admissions of 161 patients with DS during the study period, of which 110 were girls. The median age was 8 months, and the median hospital stay was 6 days. Just over half (56.7%) of the hospital stays were in the Paediatric Critic Care Unit. Heart surgery was performed on 59.4%, and the principal congenital heart defect attended was atrioventricular canal. The principal diagnosis, other than heart surgery, was lower respiratory tract infection. In this series, 3 children died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with DS are a relevant group for inpatient care, because their high incidence in Chile, their respiratory and cardiovascular risk, prolonged hospitalizations, high frequency of critical care days and mortality risk. This group has special and complex needs during their hospitalizations and it is necessary to create a multidisciplinary team with competences to take care the particular characteristics of this vulnerable group.
authors.affiliation: División de Pediatría, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Centro UC Síndrome de Down, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: mlizama@med.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Macarena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lizama Calvo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cerda Lorca
authors.affiliation: División de Pediatría, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Clínico Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monge Iriarte
authors.affiliation: División de Pediatría, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carrillo Mayanquer
authors.affiliation: División de Pediatría, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Unidad de Cardiología Pediátrica, División de Pediatría, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clavería Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: División de Pediatría, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Unidad de Paciente Crítico Pediátrico, Hospital Clínico Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castillo Moya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Cardiopatía congénita; Congenital Heart Defects; Down syndrome; Hospitalizaciones; Hospitalization; Morbidity; Morbilidad; Niños; Pediatrics; Síndrome de Down