Long-Term Outcomes After Mechanical Ventilation in Children

Abstract

As pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) survival increases, it becomes increasingly important to consider the short- and long-term outcomes of those children who survive critical illness. Critical illness affects many domains of the developing child, including physical, psychological, neurocognitive, and social development. It also has a significant impact on the quality of life of the family unit. Because of the normal and broad variability that occurs during normal child development, it is challenging to assess the long-term outcomes after recovery from critical illness in children. Given that most children survive their episode of acute respiratory failure, methods to measure the long-term effects of critical illness and mechanical ventilation in children are essential.