Table 1.
Population characteristics
| All patients | Ventilation subgroup | Mean difference (95% CI) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients included (n) | 960 | 333 | ||
| Gender (male/female, %) | 56/44 | 59/41 | ||
| Age (years) | 3.0 (<1–9.0) | 2.0 (<1–6.0) | −1.6 (−2.2 –0.9) | <0.001 |
| Age group (n, %) | ||||
| < 1 year | 259 (27.0) | 112 (33.6) | ||
| 1–5 years | 245 (25.5) | 133 (40.0) | ||
| 6–12 years | 334 (34.8) | 54 (16.2) | ||
| > 12 years | 122 (12.7) | 34 (10.2) | ||
| Weight (kg) | 14.0 (8.5–28.0) | 12.0 (6.9–20.0) | –5.0 (−7.3–2.7) | <0.001 |
| PRISM score | 10.0 (4.0–15.0) | 17.0 (13.0–23.0) | 11.2 (10.4–12.1) | < 0.001 |
| Reason for admission (%) | ||||
| Respiratory | 25.0 | 30.3 | ||
| Trauma | 9.9 | 9.9 | ||
| Postoperative | 21.9 | 16.2 | ||
| Neurological | 23.9 | 26.4 | ||
| Cardiac | 3.2 | 5.7 | ||
| Renal | 2.4 | 1.5 | ||
| Gastro-intestinal | 2.1 | 0.9 | ||
| Intoxication | 3.3 | 2.4 | ||
| Endocrinological | 1.0 | 0.6 | ||
| Other | 7.3 | 6.0 | ||
| Admission parameters | ||||
| Hb (mg/dL) | 10.8 (9.5–12.1) | 10.0 (9.0–11.4) | −0.8 (−1.1 −0.6) | < 0.001 |
| Steroids (%) | 15.2 | 17.1 | 0.23 | |
| Vasopressors/inotropics (%) | 6.4 | 14.2 | <0.001 | |
| Anaemia (%) | 54.4 | 64.3 | <0.001 | |
| CRP (mg/dL) | 19.0 (4.0–67.4) | 22.7 (7.9–77.5) | 7.6 (−3.0–18.0) | 0.16 |
| WBC count (× 109/L) | 11.6 (8.1–16.1) | 10.7 (7.2–15.9) | -0.6 (−1.5–0.35) | 0.21 |
| RDW on admission | 13.8 (13.0–15.1) | 14.2 (13.1–15.3) | 0.4 (0.1–0.6) | 0.002 |
| ICU LOS (days) | 2.5 (1.0–5.8) | 6.6 (2.5–13.9) | 8.9 (7.8–10.0) | < 0.001 |
| ICU mortality (%) | 4.3 | 10.2 | < 0.001 | |
| RDW on admission quintiles (n, %) | ||||
| Quintile 1 (11.2–12.8) | 181 (18.8) | 49 (14.7) | ||
| Quintile 2 (12.9–13.4) | 209 (21.7) | 65 (19.5) | ||
| Quintile 3 (13.5–14.3) | 198 (20.6) | 66 (19.8) | ||
| Quintile 4 (14.4–15.4) | 189 (19.7) | 78 (23.4) | ||
| Quintile 5 (15.5–29.6) | 183 (19.1) | 75 (22.5) | ||
| 28 day VFD | 23.0 (15.0–26.0) | |||
| Nadir P/F ratio during MV | 112 (72–231) | |||
Data as median (IQR) unless specified otherwise
PRISM Pediatric Risk of Mortality, Hb haemoglobin, RDW Red cell Distribution Width, ICU Intensive Care Unit, MV mechanical ventilation, P/F PaO2 / FiO2, 28 day VFD 28 day ventilator-free days, LOS length of stay. Mean difference versus non-ventilated subgroup (data not shown)