Genetic polymorphisms in critical illness and injury

Abstract

Most genes are variable in their nucleotide sequence. How this variability might influence the host’s response to critical illness and injury and contribute to the overall outcome is largely unknown. Yet this genetic variability may help identify critically ill children who are at greatest risk for poor outcomes and modify our monitoring strategies currently used in the pediatric intensive care unit. In addition, this variability may yield insight into certain disease processes observed in this vulnerable population, and may identify novel therapeutic interventions that may improve outcomes. The technologies used in examining genetic variability in populations are rapidly changing and able to examine a large number of variations simultaneously. Future studies using well defined disease phenotypes and large numbers of children will be needed to better take advantage of the potential of genetic studies.