Reasons for parental withdrawal of care in a pediatric intensive care unit in China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The past decade saw the establishment of pediatric intensive care units (PICU) across China. This occurred in the context of increasing private shares of medical costs. Payment schemes have not kept pace with the increased availability and demand. As a result a substantial number of parents, in the face of financial constraints, choose to withdraw the medical care of children even when recovery is expected.

Objective

We set out to describe the experience of one PICU in Changsha, an industrialized city near the center of the country with a population of 7.3 million.

Results

During the two-year period 883 patients were admitted to the PICU. One hundred one (11%) patients died during their hospital stay. Of these 69 (68%) died after parents elected to withdraw

SUBMITTER: Ho K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6059386 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature