Objective

: To describe the clinical-demographic characteristics of chronically critically-ill pediatric subjects hospitalized in a weaning center. The secondary objective is to describe the weaning and decannulation success rate and mortality rate.

Materials and method:

A descriptive case series study of chronically critically-ill pediatric subjects hospitalized in a rehabilitation unit.

Results:

The subjects had at least two categories of chronic conditions according to Feudtner’s classification, the most frequent being technology dependence. Congenital, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions were the most common medical history. The rate of weaning, decannulation, mortality, and home discharge of subjects admitted with a tracheostomy tube was 50%, 18%, 9%, and 27%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Chronically critically-ill tracheostomized pediatric subjects hospitalized in our rehabilitation unit had at least two categories of chronic conditions. Most subjects were male, under two years of age, and with prolonged hospitalization. Although half of the subjects achieved weaning success, only 18% were decannulated, with a low mortality rate. Therefore, pediatric subjects with technology dependence and high survival rate need to receive care in specialized and cost-efficient units, with a multidisciplinary approach.

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