[Acute coma in children: etiology, morbidity and mortality].

Objective: An analysis was conducted on the etiology and the morbi-mortality of pediatric patients in acute coma, hospitalized at the Intensive Care Unit of Hospital Infantil Pequeno Príncipe (UTI-HIPP).

Method: One hundred and four control sheets of children hospitalized at the UTI-HIPP and diagnosed as being in acute coma were analyzed. The Glasgow coma scale duly modified for children was used, with a score count equal to or lower than 8 points. The observation period was from March/98 to January/2001. All the supplementary exams as well as the neurological conditions of the patients when discharged were analyzed.

Results: The study comprised 104 children whose ages varied from 2 months to 13 years, with 57 (54.8%) of them being males. Hospital - stay time varied from 1 to 114 days, plus 3 cases in a persistent vegetative condition. As regards to etiology, 31 (29.8%) of the cases were due to meningo-encephalitis, 24 (23.1%) to an epileptic condition, 19 (18.3%) were toxic-metabolic, 16 (15.4%) to intra-cranial hypertension, 7 (6.7%) to shock/anoxia, 4 (3.8%) to an indeterminate etiology and 3(2.9%) were miscellaneous. Insofar as the clinical evolution of the children is concerned, 23 (22.1%) died, 32 (30.8%) evolved without any sequelae, 39 (37.5%) were discharged with neurological sequelae and for 10 (9.6%), no information is available.

Conclusion: According to this study, one third of the children has died, one third presented neurological sequelae, and one third presented no further complications.