Identification of a “VTE-rich” population in pediatrics – Critically ill children with central venous catheters

The incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is rising among inpatients in US hospitals, especially among kids with central venous catheters (CVCs) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). To identify a sub-group of “VTE-rich” population among PICU children, and to assess the effect of VTE on morbidity and mortality. Data was extracted from a multicenter Virtual PICU Database, or VPS, for children with a CVC and presence of a VTE. The primary outcome variable was all cause mortality and secondary outcome measure was prolonged mechanical ventilation. Primary diagnoses and Pediatric risk of mortality 2 (PIM 2) score were also recorded. The database identified 158,299 PICU patients who had a CVC. A total of 1602 patients had VTE (103 per 10,000 PICU patients). Multivariate analysis showed increased risk of VTE in patients who were