• Madelon B Bronner, Hendrika Knoester, Jeanine J Sol, Albert P Bos, Hugo S A Heymans, and Martha A Grootenhuis.
• Psychosocial Department, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Pediatr Crit Care Me. 2009 Nov 1;10(6):636-42.

ObjectiveTo evaluate self-reported health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression, and cognitive function in pediatric septic shock survivors.DesignA retrospective cohort study.SettingA 14-bed tertiary pediatric intensive care unit.PatientsChildren aged >or=8 yrs at the time of the follow-up who were admitted between 1995 and 2004 for septic shock. Inotropic and or vasoconstrictive agents were administered to these patients for >or=24 hrs.InterventionHealth-related quality of life was assessed with the KIDSCREEN-52, anxiety with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, depression with the Children's Depression Inventory, and cognitive function with the cognitive scale of the TNO-AZL Children's Quality of Life Questionnaire Child Form.Measurements And Main ResultsFifty of 82 eligible pediatric septic shock survivors were evaluated. The median age of the children at pediatric intensive care unit admission was 4.2 yrs (range, 0.0-17.0 yrs); the median age at follow-up was 10.7 yrs (range, 8.0-20.4 yrs). Health-related quality of life and anxiety scores were comparable to the age-related Dutch norm population. Depression scores were significantly better than the norm population, whereas cognitive function was significantly lower than the norm population. We found that 44% of the children had cognitive scores <25% of the norm population. Young age at the time of pediatric intensive care unit admission was predictive of cognitive problems, and cognitive problems were associated with lower emotional function.ConclusionsIn this group of septic shock survivors, health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression are equal to or slightly better than the age-related Dutch norm population. Cognitive function is decreased, especially in children admitted at younger ages. Follow-up studies with adequate neuropsychological testing are warranted to evaluate the association between septic shock, cognitive function, and risk factors for cognitive problems.

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