Pediatric ICU Outcomes: Development of New Morbidities
New, significant morbidities associated with pediatric critical care are common (4.8%) and occur in essentially all types of patients. Since reducing morbidity and mortality is a focus of medical initiatives, this rate is an important benchmark. There was significant inter-site variability in the unadjusted morbidity rates. It is possible that further investigation of the differences in morbidity rates could result in advances in the structure and process of pediatric critical care in a manner similar to the advances based on mortality rate differences. Our data compared with the historical data suggest that pediatric critical care may have exchanged mortality for morbidity over the last several decades.
Conclusion
New, significant morbidities associated with pediatric critical care are common (4.8%) and occur in essentially all types of patients. Since reducing morbidity and mortality is a focus of medical initiatives, this rate is an important benchmark. There was significant inter-site variability in the unadjusted morbidity rates. It is possible that further investigation of the differences in morbidity rates could result in advances in the structure and process of pediatric critical care in a manner similar to the advances based on mortality rate differences. Our data compared with the historical data suggest that pediatric critical care may have exchanged mortality for morbidity over the last several decades.