YAN-REN LINKANG-HSI WU2026-10-162026-10-162013-01-01Pure ID: 15212326Pure UUID: b3a40470-364f-44c5-b251-e51021f2195c10.1055/s-0032-1331168https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84872372164https://scholars.csmu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/24878Background: This study aimed to analyze the epidemiologic patterns of pediatric critically-ill patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) and the etiologies of intensive care unit (ICU) admission of different age groups. Method: This retrospective study of all children aged less than 18 years presenting with critical illnesses to the ED was conducted in a tertiary medical center in Taiwan from 2003 to 2007. All patients transferred to the ICU from the ED were included without distinction. Demographic data of critically-ill children admitted to the ED and ICU were analyzed. Etiologies of the ICU admissions were analyzed by various age groups. Results: There were 2978 critically-ill children admitted to the ICU from the ED. In 120 pediatric patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, cases with pulseless electrical activity or ventricular fibrillation had higher successful CPR rates than patients with asystole (both p<0.05). In patients admitted to ICUs, complications from the perinatal period, respiratory system diseases, accidental injuries and poisoning were the predominant etiologies respectively in young children (42.5%), school-aged children (38.5%), and adolescents (47.9%). Moreover, the most common of which was respiratory distress syndrome in neonates followed by bacterial pneumonia and status epilepticus. Conclusions: Epidemiologic analysis may provide primary clinicians to identify significant differences in admission rates based on different etiologies of various age groups.6enjournal article