The Beneficial Anti-inflammatory and Anti-oxidative Effects of Selenium Supplementation in Critically Ill Post-surgical Pediatric Patients

Oxidative stress after major surgeries is associated with the development of poor clinical outcomes including delayed wound healing and increase in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) length of stay. Due to the growth and development phase in childhood, the change in the levels of oxidative stress and inflammation is of high importance in these patients. Notably, the acute metabolic stress which is in association with oxidative stress rate, is believed to increase after major surgeries in pediatric patients. It is suggested that the presence of selenium in different selenoenzymes and selenoproteins, may play a major role in anti-oxidative defense system in surgical inflammation through regulation of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, insulin transport pathways and gene expression of inflammatory mediators and other functions of lymphocytes B and T, natural killer and lymphokine activated killer cells. Selenium requirement in acute metabolic stress following major surgeries is essential for pediatric cases, therefore selenium supplementation in such patients may be helpful and cost effective in long term. Further clinical studies are required to clarify the potential beneficial effects of selenium supplementation in addition to its dose safety and efficacy rate.