ONE-YEAR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE ON THE NEUROLOGICAL ILLNESSES BURDEN DIAGNOSED THROUGH NEUROLOGICAL & NEUROSURGICAL DIAGNOSIS IN A TERTIARY PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (PICU) IN THE BACKDROP OF PAKISTAN (SERVICES HOSPITAL, LAHORE)

Objective: The assessment of the spectrum and burden of neurological illness in the setting of an intensive pediatric unit and associated motility review was the primary objective of our research. Methods: We consulted the retrospective medical records review about the children between the age of one month to sixteen years who were hospitalized in the Services Hospital, Lahore (Acute Neurological Department) in the period of April, 2015 to March, 2016. The basic diagnosis, demographic and neuro diagnostic procedures were also carried out, outcomes and therapies were also carried out on a data sheet which was well structured. Results: We studied a total of 231 cases which were admitted because of an acute neurological illness in the PICU, the mean age of the children was observed as (67 ± 50) months, 125 children were under the age of five years (54%) and 138 children were male (59.7%). Among these children a total of 144 children had neurological illness (62.3%) and 87 children were diagnosed with neurosurgical illnesses (37.7%). In acute patients of neurological illness, 119 cases were of non-traumatic-coma (51.5%) and 25 cases were of neuromuscular illness (10.8%). Above 500 neuro diagnostic procedures/ tests were carried out in our research on the children having neurological disorders. Our rate of mortality was eighteen percent which was also compared with the total mortality rate observed as twelve percent. Conclusion: In PICU the repeated and common disorders were the of acute neurological nature; which were related to the increased rate of the mortality. CNS infections, severe traumatic brain injuries and status epilepticus were mostly repeated causes of the illness of acute neurological nature in this particular cohort. Key Words: Burden, PICU, Acute Neurological illnesses and Mortality.