Prevalence and patterns of abnormal metabolic screening in pediatric acute encephalopathy: a PICU study from Egypt

Key Points

• The study aims to analyze the prevalence and patterns of abnormal metabolic screening in pediatric acute encephalopathy cases.
• Conducted in a pediatric intensive care unit in Egypt
• Involved early metabolic screening with a focus on biomarkers like ammonia
• Prioritized patients for confirmatory testing based on screening results
• A substantial proportion of pediatric acute encephalopathy cases presented with abnormal metabolic screening results.
• Elevated ammonia levels were frequently identified among affected patients.
• Prompt metabolic screening led to improved prioritization for further testing and management.