ABSTRACT 497

Abstract

Background and aims: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the important diseases in children. Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, cause, prognostic factors, and outcome of ARDS in children. Methods: We conducted a retrospective medical-chart review of children diagnosed with ARDS at the PICU of the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic University of Korea from March 2009 to February 2012. Results: Out of the 334 children admitted to the PICU, 19 (5.6%) were diagnosed with ARDS as per the criteria stated by the American-European Consensus Conference (AECC). Thirteen ARDS patients died, and the mortality rate was 68.4%. Pneumonia was the most common cause of ARDS in 7 (36.7%) cases. The mortality rate of patients with a baseline PaO2/FiO2 value of ≤100 mmHg was significantly higher than that of patients with a baseline PaO2/FiO2 value >100 mmHg (84.6% vs. 33.3%; P = 0.046). During their stay in the PICU, we observed that higher the number of failing organs, higher was the mortality rate (P = 0.037). Conclusions: The ARDS mortality rate in children was 68.4 %, which was higher than that observed in other studies conducted within as well as outside the country. The PaO2/FiO2 ratio at ARDS onset and the number of failing organs during PICU stay were prognostic factors that aided in the determination of the ARDS mortality rate in children.