Alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient as a predictor of outcome in patients with nonneonatal pediatric respiratory failure

Abstract

Although the mortality rate for acute respiratory failure has been estimated to be as high as 60%, predicting outcome is very difficult. 1 The alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (A-aDo2) has become widely accepted as a predictor of outcome in the neonatal population; however, its value for assessing outcome in older children with respiratory failure remains unknown. 2-7 Additionally, few data are available to suggest other criteria for assessing outcome in older children with severe respiratory failure. With the development of unconventional techniques for the treatment of respiratory failure, the need for such criteria has become paramount. In an attempt to assess the value of the A-aDO2 as an early predictor of risk of death, we performed a 4-year analysis of all nonneonatal patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with severe respiratory failure. METHODS