Hypophosphataemia definitions, incidence and associated outcomes in paediatric intensive care: A retrospective cohort study in post-cardiac surgical patients <2 years of age.

Aim: Hypophosphataemia has been linked to higher morbidity and mortality in intensive care but there is inconsistency in the definition of hypophosphataemia for infants and children. We aimed to determine the incidence of hypophosphataemia in a group of at-risk children in paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and associations with patient characteristics and clinical outcomes using three different hypophosphataemia thresholds.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 205 post-cardiac surgical patients <2 years of age admitted to Starship Child Health PICU, Auckland, New Zealand.