[Relationship between previous severity of illness and outcome of in-hospital cardiac arrest].

OBJECTIVES To analyze the relationship between previous severity of illness, lactic acid, creatinine and inotropic index with mortality of in-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) in children, and the value of a prognostic index designed for adults. METHODS The study included total of 44 children aged from 1 month to 18 years old who suffered a cardiac arrest while in hospital. The relationship between previous severity of illness scores (PRIMS and PELOD), lactic acid, creatinine, treatment with vasoactive drugs, inotropic index with return of spontaneous circulation and survival at hospital discharge was analyzed. RESULTS The large majority (90.3%) of patients had a return of spontaneous circulation, and 59% survived at hospital discharge. More than two-thirds (68.2%) were treated with inotropic drugs at the time of the CA. The patients who died had a higher lactic acid before the CA (3.4 mmol/L) than survivors (1.4 mmol/L), P=.04. There were no significant differences in PRIMS, PELOD, creatinine, inotropic drugs, and inotropic index before CA between patients who died and survivors. CONCLUSION A high lactic acid previous to cardiac arrest could be a prognostic factor of in-hospital cardiac arrest in children.