Abstract

INZAURRALDE, Deris; FRANCHI, Rodrigo; ASSANDRI, Elizabeth  and  PIREZ, Catalina. Infecciones respiratorias agudas graves: Ingresos a Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos de pacientes pediátricos usuarios de la Administración de Servicios de Salud del Estado. Arch. Pediatr. Urug. [online]. 2011, vol.82, n.2, pp.78-89. ISSN 1688-1249.

Introduction: respiratory diseases are one of the most frequent pathologies in the pediatric age and represent the first cause of admittance to intensive care units (ICU). The increase of hospital admittance and referrals to the ICU in 2007, motivated this work's execution. Aim: to analyze referrals to ICU of children with Acute Lower Respiratory Infections (ALRIs), in order to contribute to the future planning of medical care of this problem. Material and method: retrospective descriptive study. Population: children under the age of 15, assisted at the Public Care Health Service admitted to ICU for ALRI, referred from public health centers of Montevideo, between 1/1/07 and 31/12/07. Results: there were 76% referrals for viral ALRI, 21% for bacterial ALRI, and 2% for whooping cough. There was a total of 486 referrals, most of which were children under the age of 1 (81%); 83% were well nourished; 27% had not completed the obligatory vaccination scheme. 53% of the children were referred from Pereira Rossell Hospital Center (CHPR) to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), 36% to private ICUs and 6% remained in the Resuscitation and Stabilization Unit of the CHPR due to the lack of ICU availability. 52% required mechanical ventilation and 8.2% noninvasive ventilation. 12% presented infections acquired in ICU. 449 children (92%) were discharged to common ward, while 4.1% were sent home and 3.5% died in the ICU. Conclusions: population and health care workers education policies must be strengthened in order to diminish the risks of requiring assistance from ICU. It is vital to carry on with strategies and to develop new ones to face epidemics of respiratory infections, as well as to periodically analyze and watch over the fulfillment of referral and discharges from the ICU criteria

Keywords : RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS; HOSPITALIZATION; INTENSIVE CARE UNITS, PEDIATRIC.

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