Prognostic scoring in critically ill children: What to predict?

[Blood lactate concentration as prognostic marker in critically ill children].

OBJECTIVE To assess the use of lactate as a marker of tissue hypoperfusion and as a prognostic index in critically ill patients. METHODS Prospective, longitudinal, observational study of 75 patients admitted to the pediatric ICU of Hospital de Clínicas of Universidade Federal do Paraná, between November 1998 and May 1999. According to the lactate level on admission, patients were divided into...

Validation and analysis of prognostic scoring systems for critically ill patients with cirrhosis admitted to ICU

INTRODUCTION The number of patients admitted to ICU who have liver cirrhosis is rising. Current prognostic scoring tools to predict ICU mortality have performed poorly in this group. In previous research from a single centre, a novel scoring tool which modifies the Child-Turcotte Pugh score by adding Lactate concentration, the CTP + L score, is strongly associated with mortality. This study aim...

Prognostic scoring systems in the Prediction of the outcome in critically Ill Patients with Perforative Peritonitis

Hypoglycemia in critically ill children.

BACKGROUND The practice of glycemic control with intravenous insulin in critically ill patients has brought clinical focus on understanding the effects of hypoglycemia, especially in children. Very little is published on the impact of hypoglycemia in this population. We aimed to review the existing literature on hypoglycemia in critically ill neonates and children. METHODS We performed a syst...

Probiotics in critically ill children

Gut microflora contribute greatly to immune and nutritive functions and act as a physical barrier against pathogenic organisms across the gut mucosa. Critical illness disrupts the balance between host and gut microflora, facilitating colonization, overgrowth, and translocation of pathogens and microbial products across intestinal mucosal barrier and causing systemic inflammatory response syndro...