Abstract:

Background and Objectives: An intensive unit (ICU) is a specially staffed and equipped, separated area in a hospital, dedicated to the management of patients with life-threatening illnesses. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the major causes of death in under-five children in developing countries are preventable and curable diseases, if the care is optimized. Intensive care has become very important in the management of critically ill children who require advanced airway, respiratory and hemodynamic supports and are usually admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with the aim of achieving an outcome better than if the patients were admitted into other parts of the hospital.

Method: This is two (2) years retrospective study, involved all children who were admitted in pediatric intensive care unit from August 2017 to August 2019 with known data recorded at pediatric department at BMC during process of data collection. Where recruitment of files will be done before conducting the study by random selection of files from medical record. Then data analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Results: A total of 384 children were enrolled in the study whereby 57.3% (220) were neonates and 42.7% (164) were aged between 1 and 120 months. The most common cause of admission was Birth aspbxia 48.2% (106) followed by neonatal sepsis 15.0% (33). Mortality was 63.6% (140) among neonates as compared to 44.5% (73) among children above neonatal period. Of these participants 54.9% (211) were males. Most neonates 83.6% (184) were less than 7 days of age and most mortality occurred due to birth asphyxia related complications, 48.2% (106). Among children beyond neonatal age, infants were most admitted in ICU, 220/384(53.1 %.)

Conclusion: Mortality among neonates admitted in the ICU is alarmingly high so does mortality of other age groups admitted in the same at Bugando Medical Centre. Birth asphyxia is significantly associated with mortality in newborns and others in children beyond neonatal period. Inadequately equipped ICU and under staffing maybe contributory in this setting.