Morbidity and Mortality in Critically Ill Children. I. Pathophysiologies and Potential Therapeutic Solutions

Functional outcomes at PICU discharge in hemato-oncology children at a tertiary oncology center in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND

Advancements in cancer treatment have resulted in longer survival but often at the expense of new therapy-associated morbidities. The aim of this study is to evaluate functional outcomes of hemato-oncology patients at PICU discharge, and to identify associated risk factors.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective observational study. All children (< 19 years) with a hemato-oncology diagnosis admitted to the Hong Kong Children's Hospital PICU over a 2-year period were included. Functional status upon admission and discharge were compared. Univariable and multi-variable analyses were employed to identify risk factors associated with new morbidities.

RESULTS

Out of 288 PICU admissions, there were 277 live discharges (mortality 4%), of which 52 (18.8%) developed new morbidities. Emergency admission, severity of illness at admission, organ dysfunction and support were associated with new morbidities (OR 1.08-11.96; p < 0.05). Adjusting for confounding factors, higher Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction 2 score at admission was significantly associated with development of new morbidities (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.18-1.54; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Critically ill children with hemato-oncological diseases had a higher rate of developing new morbidities (18.8%) compared with the general PICU population (4-8%). This was associated with severity of illness at admission. Further work is warranted to understand the lasting effects of these new morbidities and mitigating interventions.

Research in Pediatric Intensive Care

Many important clinical questions remain unanswered in the practice of pediatric intensive care due to the lack of high-quality evidence. Although challenges exist in conducting research in pediatric intensive care units, identification of research priorities, interdisciplinary collaborations, innovative trial designs, and the use of common datasets and outcome measures helps to bring new knowledge to our field. The topic of "Research in PICUs" is extremely broad; therefore, this review focuses on a few common themes receiving increased attention in the literature, including research agendas, core outcome sets, precision medicine, and novel clinical trial strategies.

Association of Socioeconomic Status With Postdischarge Pediatric Resource Use and Quality of Life

OBJECTIVES

Socioeconomic factors may impact healthcare resource use and health-related quality of life, but their association with postcritical illness outcomes is unknown. This study examines the associations between socioeconomic status, resource use, and health-related quality of life in a cohort of children recovering from acute respiratory failure.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of data from the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure clinical trial.

SETTING

Thirty-one PICUs.

PATIENTS

Children with acute respiratory failure enrolled whose parent/guardians consented for follow-up.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Resource use included in-home care, number of healthcare providers, prescribed medications, home medical equipment, emergency department visits, and hospital readmission. Socioeconomic status was estimated by matching residential address to census tract-based median income. Health-related quality of life was measured using age-based parent-report instruments. Resource use interviews with matched census tract data (n = 958) and health-related quality of life questionnaires (n = 750/958) were assessed. Compared with high-income children, low-income children received care from fewer types of healthcare providers (β = -0.4; p = 0.004), used less newly prescribed medical equipment (odds ratio = 0.4; p < 0.001), and had more emergency department visits (43% vs 33%; p = 0.04). In the youngest cohort (< 2 yr old), low-income children had lower quality of life scores from physical ability (-8.6 points; p = 0.01) and bodily pain/discomfort (+8.2 points; p < 0.05). In addition, health-related quality of life was lower in those who had more healthcare providers and prescribed medications. In older children, health-related quality of life was lower if they had prescribed medications, emergency department visits, or hospital readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Children recovering from acute respiratory failure have ongoing healthcare resource use. Yet, lower income children use less in-home and outpatient services and use more hospital resources. Continued follow-up care, especially in lower income children, may help identify those in need of ongoing healthcare resources and those at-risk for decreased health-related quality of life.

Morbidity and Mortality in Critically Ill Children. II. A Qualitative Patient-Level Analysis of Pathophysiologies and Potential Therapeutic Solutions

OBJECTIVES

To describe at the individual patient level the pathophysiologic processes contributing to morbidity and mortality in PICUs and therapeutic additions and advances that could potentially prevent or reduce morbidity and mortality.

DESIGN

Qualitative content analysis of intensivists' conclusions on pathophysiologic processes and needed therapeutic advances formulated by structured medical record review.

SETTING

Eight children's hospitals affiliated with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network.

PATIENTS

A randomly selected cohort of critically ill children with a new functional morbidity or mortality at hospital discharge. New morbidity was assessed using the Functional Status Scale and defined as worsening by two or more points in a single domain from preillness baseline.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Of 292 children, 175 (59.9%) had a new morbidity and 117 (40.1%) died. The most common pathophysiology was impaired substrate delivery (n = 158, 54.1%) manifesting as global or regional hypoxia or ischemia due to low cardiac output or cardiac arrest. Other frequent pathophysiologies were inflammation (n = 104, 35.6%) related to sepsis, respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or multiple organ dysfunction; and direct tissue injury (n = 64, 21.9%) including brain and spinal cord trauma. Chronic conditions were often noted (n = 156, 53.4%) as contributing to adverse outcomes. Drug therapies (n = 149, 51.0%) including chemotherapy, inotropes, vasoactive agents, and sedatives were the most frequently proposed needed therapeutic advances. Other frequently proposed therapies included cell regeneration (n = 115, 39.4%) mainly for treatment of neuronal injury, and improved immune and inflammatory modulation (n = 79, 27.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

Low cardiac output and cardiac arrest, inflammation-related organ failures, and CNS trauma were the most common pathophysiologies leading to morbidity and mortality in PICUs. A research agenda focused on better understanding and treatment of these conditions may have high potential to directly impact patient outcomes.

Long-Term Outcome of PICU Patients Discharged With New, Functional Status Morbidity

OBJECTIVES

To determine the long-term (> 6 mo) functional status of PICU patients with significant new functional morbidities at hospital discharge.

DESIGN

Longitudinal cohort followed-up using structured chart reviews of electronic health records.

SETTING

Electronic health records of former PICU patients at seven sites.

PATIENTS

Randomly selected patients from the Trichotomous Outcome Prediction in Critical Care study discharged from the hospital with new functional status morbidity who had sufficient electronic health record data to determine functional status.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Long-term functional status was measured with the Functional Status Scale and categorized by comparison to hospital discharge Functional Status Scale. Improvement or new morbidity was based on a change in Functional Status Scale of greater than or equal to 2 in a single domain. Overall, 56% (n = 71) improved, 15% (n = 19) did not change, 9% (n = 11) developed a new morbidity, and 21% (n = 26) died. The shortest median follow-up time from PICU discharge was 1.4 years for those who died and the longest was 4.0 years for those improved. Functional status at baseline (pre-acute illness) was different among the outcome groups with those that improved having the highest frequency of baseline normal status or only mild dysfunction. Of the long-term survivors with improvement, 82% (n = 58) improved to normal status or mild dysfunction, 11% (n = 8) improved to moderate dysfunction, and 7% (n = 5) improved to severe dysfunction. Trauma patients improved and cancer patients died more frequently than other diagnoses. The long-term outcome groups were not associated with hospital discharge functional status.

CONCLUSIONS

A majority of PICU survivors discharged with significant new functional morbidity with follow-up after 6 or more months improved, many to normal status or only mild dysfunction, while 29% died or developed new morbidity. Of the long-term survivors, 70% had significant improvement after a median follow-up time of 4.0 years.