Morbidity pattern and outcome in patients admitted in a paediatric intensive care unit: Experience of a hospital attached to a medical college in rural Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Introduction: Critically ill children require treatment in an intensive care unit which is noteasily available in rural areas and costly resultingin more deaths in rural parts of India. Theknowledge of pattern of disease prevalent in thelocal community plays an important role inplanning appropriate health care facilities. Outcomefindings help in evaluation of current medicalpractices and carrying out changes if necessary,leading to better patient care.Objectives: To analyse morbidity pattern andoutcome in patients admitted in a PaediatricIntensive Care Unit (PICU) of a hospital in ruralMaharashtra.Method: Descriptive data were collectedretrospectively from the hospital medical recordsfrom January 2017 to December 2018 and analysedfor morbidity pattern and outcome in childrenadmitted in the PICU.Results: A total of 2386 children were admittedand treated in the PICU during the 2-year period.Mean age of the studied patients was 40.2 ± 42months; 34% were infants and 58.9% were males.The mean length of stay (LOS) in PICU was 4.81 ±4.89 days. Diagnoses included respiratory infection(27.3%), infectious diseases (20.5%), neurologicaldisorders (18.2%), gastrointestinal (10.5%),haematological (5.8%), renal/endocrinal (3.2 %),cardiovascular (3.1%), and others (10.7%). Othercauses included acute poisoning, snake / scorpionbite, trauma and foreign body ingestion / aspiration.The overall mortality rate was 9%.Conclusions: The present study reveals that themost susceptible age group was under-five year oldchildren. Respiratory illnesses and infectiousdiseases were the major causes