Respiratory complications during surgical treatment of patients in a paediatric intensive care unit

Incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (6-76%) depends on diagnostic criteria. Seventy four paediatric surgical patients were analysed during one-year period. In the first group (with complications) pneumonia was the most frequent complication (86.95%) in 65.21% of newborns. In contrast, atelectases, pneumothorax and intra-alveolar haemorhagia were rare. In the control group (group II, without complications) only 5.88% were newborn infants. Intubation and ventilatory support were necessary in 69.56% of patients in the first group, compared to 5.88% in the second group. Mortality rate was high in the first group, where more than a half of children were newborns. In conclusion, pulmonary complications had unfavourably influence on the mortality rate and morbidity, particularly in newborn infants. This was the reason for a prolonged hospitalisation in the paediatric intensive care unit.