Abstract P-368: NEUROLOGIC COMPLICATIONS IN PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (PICU)

Abstract

Aims & Objectives: We aimed to investigate neurologic complications following critical illness in children admitted to PICUs without neurologic problem and their related factors. Methods We analyzed 584 children admitted to the PICU at Severance Children’s Hospital for at least 24 hours. Children with preexisting neurologic problems such as epilepsy and encephalopathy of several etiologies, cardiac/respiratory arrest, or liver disease at ICU admission were excluded. Patients with neurologic complications were defined as those with the newly developed neurological signs or symptoms including seizure, altered mentality, delirium, or brain dysfunction after PICU admission. Results The number of patients without preexisting neurologic problems before PICU admission was 150 (25.7%). Among them, the survived 108 patients (72.0%) were divided into the groups with neurologic complication (n = 20) and without neurologic complications (n = 88). Neurologic complication was more common in subjects receiving mechanical ventilation (70.5 vs. 95%, P =0.022) or suffering from sepsis (40 vs. 15%, P < 0.025). The group with neurologic complications had higher pediatric index of mortality 3 score (5.9 vs. 4.2%, P =0.024) and pediatric risk of mortality III (9.0 vs. 3.5, P < 0.001), and longer PICU length of stay [15.5 vs. 6.0 days, P < 0.001) and duration of sedation [10.0 vs. 4.5 days, P < 0.001] compared to the group without neurologic complications. Conclusions Neurological complications can be associated with the prolonged MV and sedation and high mortality predictive score.