A prospective observational study on critically ill children with diaphragmatic dysfunction: clinical outcomes and risk factors

Background Diaphragmatic dysfunction (DD) has a great negative impact on clinical outcomes, and it is a well-recognized complication in adult patients with critical illness. However, DD is largely unexplored in the critically ill pediatric population. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with DD, and to investigate the effects of DD on clinical outcomes among critically ill children. Methods Diaphragmatic function was assessed by diaphragm ultrasound. According to the result of diaphragmatic ultrasound, all enrolled subjects were categorized into the DD group (n = 24) and the non-DD group (n = 46). Collection of sample characteristics in both groups include age, sex, height, weight, primary diagnosis, complications, laboratory findings, medications, ventilatory time and clinical outcomes. Results The incidence of DD in this PICU was 34.3%. The level of CRP at discharge (P = 0.003) in the DD group was higher than the non-DD group, and duration of elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (P < 0.001), sedative days (P = 0.008) and ventilatory treatment time (P < 0.001) in the DD group was significantly longer than the non-DD group. Ventilatory treatment time and duration of elevated CRP were independently risk factors associated with DD. Patients in the DD group had longer PICU length of stay, higher rate of weaning or extubation failure and higher mortality. Conclusion DD is associated with poorer clinical outcomes in critically ill childern, which include a longer PICU length of stay, higher rate of weaning or extubation failure and a higher mortality. The ventilatory treatment time and duration of elevated CRP are main risk factors of DD in critically ill children.