Paediatric anaesthesia & critical care
Pediatric Intensive Care Utilization and Outcomes in Denmark
Authors' conclusion
In this cohort study of 7875 children representing 9458 ICU admissions in Denmark, ICU admission rates declined during the study period from 2019 to 2024 and remained a small proportion of overall pediatric hospitalizations. In-hospital and postdischarge mortality remained stable and low.
Study context
- Population
- Children aged 0–17 years admitted to an ICU in Denmark (excluding neonatal intensive care units (ICUs), rehabilitation centres, psychiatric hospitals)
- Participants
- 7,875 children · 9,458 ICU admissions
- Exposure
- Trends over time 2019–2024
- Outcome
- ICU admission and mortality rates (Poisson regression, offset log of annual children at risk)
Methodological detailsmulticentre (19 public Danish hospitals)
- Multicentre (19 public Danish hospitals)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
ICU admission incidence 2020
1.35 (95% CI, 1.35-1.35) per 1000 person-years
ICU admission incidence 2024
1.17 (95% CI, 1.17-1.17) per 1000 person-years
IRR 2024 vs 2020
0.86
95% CI 0.86–0.86
All-cause mortality of pediatric ICU patients remained similar across years
50 and 71
2.9% and 4.4%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Incidence of pediatric hospital admissions (per 1000 person-years) · 2020 to 2024
- Hospital admission incidence 2020
- 109.12 (95% CI, 109.12-109.12) per 1000 person-years
- Hospital admission incidence 2024
- 93.79 (95% CI, 93.79-93.79) per 1000 person-years
- IRR 2024 vs 2020
- 0.86 (95% CI, 0.86-0.86)
In-hospital mortality
- Remained similar across years (range)
- 30 to 44 [1.8% to 2.7%]
30-day post-discharge mortality
- Remained similar across years (range)
- 17 [1.1%] to 33 [2.1%]
Patient characteristics
- Age, median [IQR]
- 6 [1-13] years
- Male
- 5533 [58.5%]
- Admissions with chronic comorbidity
- 4918 (52.0%)
- Congenital malformations (most common comorbidity)
- 2973 [31.4%]
Original publication
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