Characterization of children receiving mechanical ventilation at the Pediatric Centre, Hue Central Hospital

Abstract

Methods: A cross-sectional study with convenient samples of 33 children receiving mechanical ventilation at the Pediatric Center of Hue Central Hospital from May, 2018 to February, 2019. Results: The most common age category (63.6%) was under 12 months, with a median age of 6.0 months. After failing to respond to oxygen therapy or NCPAP, 60.6% of pediatric patients were placed on mechanical ventilation. The most common causes were respiratory diseases (63.6%); shock (24.2%); and neurological diseases (9.1%), with pneumonia and septic shock being the most common diseases (57.6% and 18.2%, respectively). The mortality rate was 63.6%, and it was not related to age group. However, it varied dramatically by disease group, which was particularly high in the pneumonia group associated with congenital heart disease (72.7%) and in the septic shock group (100%). Prolonged mechanical ventilation was recorded at 15.2% of children, primarily those with pneumonia associated with other chronic illnesses (80%). Conclusion: Because of the high risk of prolonged mechanical ventilation and the high mortality rate in mechanical ventilation, pneumonia associated with with congenital heart disease and septic shock were conditions that required to be remarked. Key words: mechanical ventilation, children