Neuromuscular Blocker Use in Critically Ill Children: Assessing Mortality Risk by Propensity Score–Weighted Analysis

OBJECTIVES: We aim to describe the use of continuous infusion of neuromuscular blocking agents in mechanically ventilated critically ill children and to test its association with in-hospital mortality. DESIGN: Multicenter, registry-based, observational, two-cohort-comparison retrospective study using prospectively collected data from a web-based national registry. SETTING: Seventeen PICUs in Italy. PATIENTS: We included children less than 18 years who received mechanical ventilation and a neuromuscular blocking agent infusion from January 2010 to October 2017. A propensity score–weighted Cox regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between the use of neuromuscular blocking agents and in-hospital mortality. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 23,227 patients admitted to the PICUs during the study period, 3,823 patients were included. Patients who received a continuous infusion of neuromuscular blocking agent were more likely to be younger (p
Source: Critical Care Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Online Clinical Investigations Source Type: research