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BACKGROUND: Despite the rapid development of pediatric intensive care medicine, there are still limited data in the literature regarding the follow-up of pediatric trauma patients in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). In this study, we aim to evaluate our experience with children admitted and followed up with the diagnosis of trauma at our PICU. METHODS: We evaluated the retrospective data of 77 pediatric trauma patients who were admitted to the PICU at Sancaktepe Sehit Prof. Dr. IlhanVarank Training and Research Hospital from August 2020 to December 2022. The demographic data, clinical parameters and laboratory results were recorded. The primary outcome was the mortality in PICU. The performances of markers in predicting mortality were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 70 (33-157) months, and the median duration of hospitalization in the PICU was 6 (2-11) d. Of the 77 patients, 9 died due to trauma (11,1%). Among the clinical parameters, Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM III) Score, inotrope requirement, extracorporeal treatment requirement, and mechanical ventilator requirement were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors. Among the laboratory parameters, procalcitonin (PCT), lactate/albumin ratio (LAR), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and transfusion requirement were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors. CONCLUSION: In pediatric trauma patients, baseline PCT, LAR, and NLR values can be used to identify patients at risk for mortality.
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OBJECTIVE: Mechanical ventilation (MV) remains the most challenging and important issue in the field of pediatrics. It is a life-saving, invasive procedure that supports the cardiovascular and respiratory systems until the underlying disease is cured. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic profile, clinical aspects, indications and complications of MV, and outcome of the children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary hospital in a developing country. METHODS: The demographic profile, clinical aspects, MV indications and complications, and outcomes of pediatric patients (0-18 years of age) who required MV in the Sancaktepe Sehit Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Training and Research Hospital PICU from February 2022 to January 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 139 patients were analyzed, of whom 79 (56.8%) were males. The median age was 36 months (1-214). Respiratory diseases (38.8%) were the most common indication for MV. We observed a 19.4% mortality rate with a statistically significant association with sepsis (p=0.001). Compared to other diseases, a large number of sepsis patients were found to require a variety of critical care treatment modalities and prolonged respiratory support. CONCLUSION: Although MV is an indispensable treatment method in PICUs, it should not be forgotten that it carries the risk of morbidity and mortality in addition to the underlying disease. Therefore, the establishment of experienced teams in PICUs could make an important contribution to the prognosis of the patients.