Disease spectrum of PICU admissions in a Tertiary Care Center

Abstract

Background: Child mortality rate is labeled as a sensitive indicator of a countrys development and evidence of the nations priorities and values. Advanced technologies, effective monitoring, and high-intensity staffing and specialized training have been reported to drastically improve the outcomes of critically ill infants and children who are admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Methods: 434 patients each of in age group 1-14 years were included as cases. The study was carried out in the Departments of Pediatrics in a tertiary care centre. Results: The total admissions during this study were 434 children. These 434 cases were used for the analysis. The age of the children was from >1 year to 14 years old. Males accounted for 57.4 % of the sample and females were 42.6%. It was found that the most common age group of admitted children is 1- 5 year, followed by above 5years age group. The most common diagnosis at the time of admission overall was Seizures (31.7%), Pneumonia (29%), Bronchiolitis (16.5%), Fever (22.5%). Conclusion: Children are the most vulnerable and valuable demographic group for any community and country. They need special care and protection, especially when admitted to intensive care units. Thus a general understanding in the management of these patients is crucial for all emergency medicine clinicians.