First Year of Newly Established Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in North Cyprus

Abstract

Introduction:Pediatric intensive care units (PICU) are essential for treating critically ill kids. Starting with the recognition as pediatric subspeciality, number of PICUs in Turkey gradually increases. As the outcome of this increase in 2019, 5-bed PICU was established in Northern Cyprus. With this research, we would like to study the patients hospitalized in the first year of the only PICU in Northern Cyprus.Methods:The patients hospitalized in PICU between June 2019 and June 2020 were investigated retrospectively. Source of admission, admission diagnose, demographic information, PRISM-3 score, length of PICU and hospital stay and location on 30-day follow-up were recorded.Results:Total of 100 PICU admissions were analyzed; 53% of admissions were male. The median age was 59.77 months. The mortality was 6%. 87% of patients were alive and not in a healthcare facility at the end of 30-day follow-up. When the reasons affecting mortality and length of stay were investigated, we found that PRISM-3 score was related to location at 30-day follow-up. In total 3 ventilator-related pneumonia, 4 catheter-related bloodstream infection and 7 catheter-related urinary tract infection were detected.Conclusion:This study is useful for understanding patients admitted to pediatric intensive care unit in a socio-economically developed community with low population and easy access to healthcare system. It also clarifies the importance of PRISM-3 score calculated at admission for location at the end of 30 day follow-up. Last but not least it highlights the data which should be recorded in a newly established unit.

Keywords

• cyprus
• child
• critical care
• length of stay
• mortality