{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30164"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30164","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A description of premature and ex-premature infants admitted to a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit in the first six months of life","abstract":"Background: Prematurity is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in children. Rehospitalisation with paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission constitutes significant morbidity. There is a paucity of literature regarding rehospitalisations of premature infants in South Africa. Objective: To describe the outcomes, clinical course and characteristics of premature infants admitted to a South African PICU, and to identify any predictors of mortality. Methods: This prospective observational study analysed unplanned PICU admissions of premature and ex-premature infants in the first six months of life, over a six-month period. The primary and secondary outcomes were mortality and length of PICU stay, respectively. Data were analysed using standard descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: 29 infants (65% male; median (IQR) birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) 1715 (1130 - 2340) g and 32 (29 - 34) weeks respectively) in 33 admissions were included. Five (17.2%) infants died in PICU. Apnoea (39.4%), respiratory failure (24.2%) and shock (24.2%) were the commonest reasons for PICU admission, secondary to pneumonia (33.3%), sepsis (27.3%) and meningitis (12.1%). 72.4% of infants were mechanically ventilated and 48.3% received blood transfusions. Higher revised Paediatric Risk of Mortality (PIM2) score (p = 0.03), inotrope use (p < 0.0001), longer duration of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.03), and cardiac arrest in PICU (p < 0.0001) were associated with mortality on univariate analysis with no independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: Infections leading to apnoea, respiratory failure and shock are common indications for PICU readmission in premature infants. Mechanical ventilation and blood transfusion were frequently required.","abstract_html":"Background: Prematurity is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in children. Rehospitalisation with paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission constitutes significant morbidity. There is a paucity of literature regarding rehospitalisations of premature infants in South Africa. Objective: To describe the outcomes, clinical course and characteristics of premature infants admitted to a South African PICU, and to identify any predictors of mortality. Methods: This prospective observational study analysed unplanned PICU admissions of premature and ex-premature infants in the first six months of life, over a six-month period. The primary and secondary outcomes were mortality and length of PICU stay, respectively. Data were analysed using standard descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: 29 infants (65% male; median (IQR) birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) 1715 (1130 - 2340) g and 32 (29 - 34) weeks respectively) in 33 admissions were included. Five (17.2%) infants died in PICU. Apnoea (39.4%), respiratory failure (24.2%) and shock (24.2%) were the commonest reasons for PICU admission, secondary to pneumonia (33.3%), sepsis (27.3%) and meningitis (12.1%). 72.4% of infants were mechanically ventilated and 48.3% received blood transfusions. Higher revised Paediatric Risk of Mortality (PIM2) score (p = 0.03), inotrope use (p &lt; 0.0001), longer duration of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.03), and cardiac arrest in PICU (p &lt; 0.0001) were associated with mortality on univariate analysis with no independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: Infections leading to apnoea, respiratory failure and shock are common indications for PICU readmission in premature infants. Mechanical ventilation and blood transfusion were frequently required.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mathew, Grace"],"institution":"Department of Paediatrics and Child Health","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Rossouw, Beyra"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018","date_published":"2018","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:46Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30164","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Rossouw, Beyra"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mathew, Grace"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2019-05-16T13:27:53Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-05-16T13:27:53Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2018"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Paediatrics and Child Health"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MMed (Paediatrics)"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30164"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Background: Prematurity is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in children. Rehospitalisation with paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission constitutes significant morbidity. There is a paucity of literature regarding rehospitalisations of premature infants in South Africa. Objective: To describe the outcomes, clinical course and characteristics of premature infants admitted to a South African PICU, and to identify any predictors of mortality. Methods: This prospective observational study analysed unplanned PICU admissions of premature and ex-premature infants in the first six months of life, over a six-month period. The primary and secondary outcomes were mortality and length of PICU stay, respectively. Data were analysed using standard descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: 29 infants (65% male; median (IQR) birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) 1715 (1130 - 2340) g and 32 (29 - 34) weeks respectively) in 33 admissions were included. Five (17.2%) infants died in PICU. Apnoea (39.4%), respiratory failure (24.2%) and shock (24.2%) were the commonest reasons for PICU admission, secondary to pneumonia (33.3%), sepsis (27.3%) and meningitis (12.1%). 72.4% of infants were mechanically ventilated and 48.3% received blood transfusions. Higher revised Paediatric Risk of Mortality (PIM2) score (p = 0.03), inotrope use (p < 0.0001), longer duration of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.03), and cardiac arrest in PICU (p < 0.0001) were associated with mortality on univariate analysis with no independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: Infections leading to apnoea, respiratory failure and shock are common indications for PICU readmission in premature infants. Mechanical ventilation and blood transfusion were frequently required."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A description of premature and ex-premature infants admitted to a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit in the first six months of life"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Rossouw, Beyra"],"dc:creator":["Mathew, Grace"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2019-05-16T13:27:53Z"],"dc:date.available":["2019-05-16T13:27:53Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2018"],"dc:description.abstract":["Background: Prematurity is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in children. Rehospitalisation with paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission constitutes significant morbidity. There is a paucity of literature regarding rehospitalisations of premature infants in South Africa. Objective: To describe the outcomes, clinical course and characteristics of premature infants admitted to a South African PICU, and to identify any predictors of mortality. Methods: This prospective observational study analysed unplanned PICU admissions of premature and ex-premature infants in the first six months of life, over a six-month period. The primary and secondary outcomes were mortality and length of PICU stay, respectively. Data were analysed using standard descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: 29 infants (65% male; median (IQR) birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) 1715 (1130 - 2340) g and 32 (29 - 34) weeks respectively) in 33 admissions were included. Five (17.2%) infants died in PICU. Apnoea (39.4%), respiratory failure (24.2%) and shock (24.2%) were the commonest reasons for PICU admission, secondary to pneumonia (33.3%), sepsis (27.3%) and meningitis (12.1%). 72.4% of infants were mechanically ventilated and 48.3% received blood transfusions. Higher revised Paediatric Risk of Mortality (PIM2) score (p = 0.03), inotrope use (p < 0.0001), longer duration of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.03), and cardiac arrest in PICU (p < 0.0001) were associated with mortality on univariate analysis with no independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: Infections leading to apnoea, respiratory failure and shock are common indications for PICU readmission in premature infants. Mechanical ventilation and blood transfusion were frequently required."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30164"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Paediatrics and Child Health"],"dc:title":["A description of premature and ex-premature infants admitted to a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit in the first six months of life"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MMed (Paediatrics)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:46Z"}