Clinical profile and factors associated with mortality among children admitted to intensive care unit at Dilla University General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a specialized hospital department designed to manage and closely monitor patients with life-threatening conditions. It is staffed by highly trained multidisciplinary teams and equipped with advanced medical technologies, typically housed in self-contained rooms to ensure optimal care. Among the most complex and demanding areas within pediatrics is the care of critically ill children. 

Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 10, 2024, to August 08, 2025, at Dilla General Hospital on children admitted to the general intensive care unit (GICU) aged 1 month to 18 years. Data was collected by using semi-structured questionnaires. Epi data version 3.1 and SPSS version 25.0 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were employed. Adjusted odds ratios were used to ascertain effect sizes for any association between the dependent and associated variables, while significance at a p-value of <0.05 was determined using 95% confidence intervals.

Results: A total of 150 children admitted to the GICU were included in this study, and 63.9% participants were male. Among the study participants, the overall death rate was 31.9%. Those patients with severe acute malnutrition (AOR= 3.97 (95% CI= 1.29, 12.19)), those with low GCS at admission (GCS <8)(AOR= 2.84(95% CI= 1.59, 5.09)), those who need inotropes (AOR= 5.20(95% CI= 1.37, 19.75)), and children who stayed in GICU for <5days(AOR= 4.13(95% CI= 1.59, 10.74)) were significantly associated with death.

Conclusions: The overall mortality rate in this study was 32%. Key predictors of death included underlying severe acute malnutrition, low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores at admission, the need for inotropic support, and GICU stay of less than five days. These findings highlight the urgent need to strengthen client-centered care in pediatric intensive care units, with targeted interventions to reduce preventable mortality.