Characterization of post-critical care syndrome in children in a critical care unit

Caracterización del síndrome poscuidado crítico en niños de una unidad de cuidado crítico

Introduction: the survival of critically ill children requiring specialized care in a pediatric critical care unit (PICU) has increased over the last years. The changing spectrum of critical illness, technological advances and improved survival rates have resulted in increased morbidity in the pediatric population. Objective: to characterize post-critical care syndrome (PICS-p) in children admitted to a PICU. Material and methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a high complexity health institution. The sample consisted of 53 patients who met the selection criteria. This research was approved by the institution´s ethics committee and was classified as non-risk. Results and discussion: of the total sample, 66% were male, 73% were admitted to the PICU with respiratory diagnoses and more than 70% required mechanical ventilation, which also led to the common use of benzodiazepines and opioids as part of drug therapy, leading to the development of abstinence symptoms upon discharge from the PICU. There was some degree of compromise in 57%, which implied muscle strength impairment, and 78.2% had positive scores on the 9-sided scale. Conclusions: post-critical care syndrome is clearly present in the pediatric population and its manifestations require effective prevention and rehabilitation actions, to ensure a rapid and successful recovery.