Ding Min, Yang Chunfeng, Qin Yanling, Li Yumei
Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Children's Medical Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Department of Extension Service Center, The Siping Central People's Hospital, Siping, China.
Aust Crit Care. 2025 Sep;38(5):101294. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2025.101294. Epub 2025 Jul 24.
Intensive care unit-acquired weakness results in adverse prognosis, healthcare costs, and resources. Little is known about paediatric intensive care unit-acquired weakness (PICU-AW).
The goal of this study was to determine risk factors and 6-month outcomes after discharge of patients with PICU-AW.
From May 2021 to December 2022, a prospective observational study was conducted in a single centre from China. Children aged 7-18 years were divided into two groups with and without PICU-AW at discharge. A predesigned data form was used to collect patients' characteristics. Risk factors were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic analyses. Outcomes such as muscle strength, functional status, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge.
A total of 172 patients were assessed for eligibility at discharge, and 44 children (25.6%) were diagnosed with PICU-AW. The presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome on admission (odds ratio [OR]: 6.482, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.245-18.712, p = 0.001), higher Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction 2 score on admission (OR: 1.337, 95% CI: 1.011-1.767, p = 0.041), and longer length of stay in the PICU (OR: 1.222, 95% CI: 1.133-1.318, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with PICU-AW. PICU-AW was an independent risk factor for decreased HRQOL at 1 month (OR: 5.215, 95% CI: 1.147-23.715, p = 0.033) and 3 months (OR: 5.318, 95% CI: 1.759-16.077, p = 0.003) after discharge. PICU-AW was not associated with functional status within 6 months after discharge.
The presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome on admission, organ dysfunction on admission, and longer PICU stays were independent risk factors for PICU-AW. PICU-AW was found to be the independent risk factor for decreased HRQOL at 1 and 3 months after discharge. Children with normal baseline function were more likely to recover their functional status after discharge.
