Incidence of hyperoxia and excess of oxygen use in critically ill pediatric patients

Introduction: Oxygen therapy is a crucial aspect of quality care in the pediatric Intensive Care unit. It is not only necessary for preventing hypoxia but also important for reducing the burden of labored breathing in a child maintaining saturation at the cost of a higher basal metabolic rate. To determine the incidence of hyperoxia in patients receiving supplemental oxygen therapy in a pediatric intensive care setting. Methodology: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at the pediatric intensive care unit of Shifa International Hospital from November 2022 to October 2023. A total of 137 patients were included in the study. Consecutive non-probability sampling was used for patients who matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data regarding demographic and clinical factors was collected and evaluated using SPSS 23. The incidence of hyperoxia and its relationship to mortality, organ dysfunction, mode of ventilation, and length of stay was determined. Results: The mean age of the patients participating in the study was 4.97 ± 4.35 years and 101 (73.7%) were males. Mean fractional inspired oxygen, saturation, and partial pressure of oxygen were 0.37 ±0.19, 94.58 ±3.20, and 102.77 ±21.95 mmHg respectively. The overall incidence of hyperoxia was 9.5%. There was no statistically significant difference in mode of ventilation, organ dysfunction, and length of stay when compared between those who had hyperoxia and those who did not. Conclusion: The study concludes that the overall incidence of hyperoxia remains low at 9.5% as only 13 out of 137 patients experienced it.