[Retrospective analysis of the resuscitation room management of nontraumatic critically ill children in a university emergency department (OBSERvE-DUS-PED study)].

Background: The establishment of a resuscitation room management for nontraumatic critically ill children appears to make sense. This study collected data of pediatric patients suffering from nontraumatic critically ill conditions treated in a resuscitation room.

Methods: The retrospective OBSERvE-DUS-PED study (November 2019-October 2022) recorded pediatric patients (age < 18 years) who were admitted to the emergency department (ED) for resuscitation room care. The routinely documented data on treatment were taken from the hospital information system MEDICO® and the patient data management system COPRA® in accordance with the OBSERvE dataset. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University (2023-2377).

Results: The study included 52 pediatric resuscitation room patients. Adolescents aged 14-17 years were the most frequent in the cohort representing 37% of the total and neonates/infants (0-1 year) were lowest at 8%. The most common symptoms categorized according to ABCDE problems were disturbance of consciousness (D) at 61%, cardiovascular failure (C) at 25%, respiratory insufficiency (B) at 6%, airway obstruction (A) and exposure/environment (E) problems each at 4%. The out-of-hospital and in-hospital emergency procedures were performed with the following frequencies: venous (58% vs. 65%), intraosseous (14% vs. 2%) and central venous access (0% vs. 12%), invasive airway management (35% vs. 8%), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (21% vs. 10%), vasopressors (15% vs. 17%), and intra-arterial pressure measurement (0% vs. 17%). The mean duration of resuscitation room management was 70 ± 43 min. The 30-day mortality was 17%.

Conclusion: The OBSERvE-DUS-PED study demonstrates the major challenges in the care of critically ill nontraumatic pediatric patients, both in out-of-hospital and in-hospital management. The variety and complexity of the referral diagnoses as well as the immediate vital threat to the patients make it appear sensible to treat such patients primarily in a resuscitation room of the ED due to the available material, infrastructural and personnel resources.