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The epidemiological profile of pediatric patients admitted to the general intensive care unit in an Ethiopian university hospital
Authors Abebe T, Girmay M, G/Michael G, Tesfaye M
Received 25 October 2014
Accepted for publication 11 December 2014
Published 29 January 2015 Volume 2015:8 Pages 63—67
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S76378
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single-blind
Peer reviewer comments 3
Editor who approved publication: Dr Scott Fraser
Teshome Abebe, Mullu Girmay, Girma G/Michael, Million Tesfaye
Department of Anesthesia, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
Background: In least developing countries, there are few data on children's critical care. This makes the provision of aid and improvement of outcome difficult.
Objectives: To describe admission and outcome patterns of children managed in a general intensive care unit at Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH), Ethiopia, over a 5-year period.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used. All children from birth to 14 years of age who were admitted to the general ICU of the hospital from 2009–2013 were included. Patient charts and ICU documentation log were reviewed.
Results: A total of 170 children were admitted to the ICU of JUSH over the study period. The greater share was taken by males (54.7%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.2:1. The overall mortality rate was 40%. The majority of the children were in the age range of 10–14 years (38.8%). Of the total number of patients admitted, 34.7% were trauma cases, 45.8% of whom died. The highest percentage, 69.5%, of trauma patients were admitted for head injuries. Among the trauma cases, burn and polytrauma were the second and third leading causes (15.3%) of admission. Postoperative patients and medical patients accounted for the rest of the admitted cases (28.2% and 27.6% of the cases respectively).
Conclusion: The leading cause of admission and death was trauma. Postoperative and medical causes of admission were also significant. The mortality rate in the ICU was very high, and this could be due to various factors. Further research benchmarking and interventions are highly recommended.
Keywords: trauma, critical care, pediatric, ICU, ventilation, oxygenation
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