Children admitted to a general intensive care unit.

A retrospective analysis of the pattern of admission of children to the general intensive care unit of Christchurch Hospital during the period 1980-7 inclusive, is reported. Three hundred and ninety-nine children were admitted during this period and they formed 10.7% of all admissions to the unit. In addition to the intensive care specialist, a paediatrician was involved with the management on 260 occasions and a surgeon on 139 occasions. Acute epiglottitis was the single commonest medical cause for admission and trauma from motor vehicle accidents the commonest surgical reason. Overall mortality was 14.5%, 13% for medical conditions and 16% for those with surgical problems. These results are in keeping with those reported from overseas.