Audit of Pediatric Cardio-Thoracic ICU Admissions in Nigeria
Author Information
Author(s): Okafor Ugochukwu, Azike Jerome
Primary Institution: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital
Hypothesis
The study aimed to perform an audit of intensive care unit admissions in the pediatric cardio-thoracic population in Enugu, Nigeria and examine the challenges and outcomes in this high-risk group.
Conclusion
Pediatric cardio-thoracic services in Nigeria suffer from inadequate funding and manpower flight, leading to a high mortality rate among patients.
Supporting Evidence
- There was a 66% survival rate with ten deaths among the patients studied.
- Twelve patients had cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, with a 50% success rate.
- Thirty consecutive postoperative pediatric admissions were reviewed over a 2-year period.
Takeaway
This study looked at children who had heart surgery in Nigeria and found that many faced challenges due to lack of money and trained doctors.
Methodology
The hospital records of consecutive postoperative pediatric cardiothoracic admissions were retrospectively reviewed over a 2-year span.
Potential Biases
The study may be biased due to the limited number of trained personnel and resources available.
Limitations
The study only included patients under 13 years and may not represent all pediatric cardiothoracic patients.
Participant Demographics
The average age of patients was 5.1 years, with a range from 2 weeks to 13 years.
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