Outcome follow-up and reason analysis in long PICU stay patients

Abstract

Objective To analyse the reasons for patients′ long PICU stay and to discuss how to decrease their PICU stay length and optimize medical resource utilization.The another objective is to identify these patients′ long-term outcome. Methods We retrospectively analysed the basic information of patients who stayed in our PICU more than 30 days during January 1, 2013 to July 31, 2014, including pediatric critical illness score on admission, primary diseases and outcome on discharge, in order to determine main reasons for their long PICU stay.Follow-up prognosis was made by Paediatric Overall Performance Category.We used SPSS 19.0 to do data analysis. Results Sixty-seven patients enrolled in this study included 43 boys and 24 girls, 49.2% of whom came from emergency department.The median age was 24 months(IQR 8, 108), while median length of PICU stay was 39 days(IQR 31, 49). Mean pediatric critical illness score on admi-ssion was 78.39±9.57.Mean hospital fees was(144 071.74±76 944.74) Yuan.Thirty(44.8%) patients did not have any medical insurance.Top three primary diseases were respiratory disease(30 cases), neurological disease(8 cases) and systemic infection(6 cases). Top three underlying diseases were tracheostenosis or bronchopulmonary dysplasia(6 cases), congenital heart disease(5 cases) and immunodeficiencies(4 cases). Top three complications were respiratory failure(30 cases), multiple organ dysfunction or failure(16 cases), shock(9 cases). Top three reasons for longer PICU stay were weaning off mechanical ventilation difficulty(29 cases), department or hospital transference difficulty(20 cases), feeding difficulty(16 cases). Fifty-four patients were discharged with better health condition, 10 patients were auto-discharge.The mortality at discharge, 1 month after discharge, 3 months after discharge and 6 months after discharge were 4.5%, 20.9%, 25.4% and 25.4%, respectively.Total 36(53.7%) patients had a good or mildly abnormal Paediatric Overall Performame Category score(1-2 points) at 6 months after discharge. Conclusion Sequential noninvasive ventilation, timely tracheotomy, timely patients′ transference to general ward, development of family ward and rehabilitation wards, appropriate nutrition delivery, regularly difficult disease consultation, reduction of hospital infection and complications may do contribution to shorten these patients′ length of PICU stay.Children who survive longer than 3 months after discharge have better long-term prognosis. Key words: Pediatric intensive care unit; Length of hospital; Reason; Prognosis,