Long-term neurocognitive outcomes after pediatric intensive care: exploring the role of drug exposure.

Background: Concerns exist regarding the impact of widely used clinical drugs on brain development. This study investigates long-term neurocognitive functioning in relation to frequently used drug exposure at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

Methods: This study compared children aged 6-12 years with previous PICU admission (age ≤1 year) for bronchiolitis requiring mechanical ventilation (patient group, n = 65) to a demographically comparable control group (n = 76) on a broad range of neurocognitive outcomes.