Low selenium serum levels are associated with poor clinical outcomes in critically ill children

Abstract

Rationale: Major gastrointestinal surgeries in childhood era may lead to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admission due to the oxidative stress and inflammation following surgeries, acute stress response that may be associated with poor clinical outcomes. Previous studies reported selenium as a key component of antioxidant defense system which serum selenium levels are directly correlated with the severity of oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the possible relation between serum selenium concentrations and clinical outcomes following major gastrointestinal surgeries.