Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42223804›Full record

ArticleMolecular and cellular pediatrics2026

Post-intensive care sequelae after severe bacterial infections in previously healthy children.

S C Goretzki, C Held, S Tschirner, C Pentek, H Kölbel, A Della Marina, A Gangfuß, H Reusch, N Schlaghecke, S Benson and 4 more

Abstract readLetter
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular and cellular pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

S C GoretzkiDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany. sarah.goretzki@uk-essen.de.
C HeldDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
S TschirnerDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
C PentekDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
H KölbelDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
A Della MarinaDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
A GangfußDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
H ReuschDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
N SchlagheckeDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
S BensonInstitute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
U Schara-SchmidtDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
U Felderhoff-MüserDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
C Dohna-SchwakeDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
N BrunsDepartment of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University, Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSevere complications of common community-acquired infections can necessitate pediatric intensive care even in previously healthy children. While survival after pediatric intensive care has improved, data on long-term physical, cognitive, and psychosocial outcomes in this population remain limited. This study evaluated 12-month outcomes in previously healthy children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit for severe infectious complications and describes the implementation of a structured post-intensive care follow-up program at a tertiary care center in Germany.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective single-center study including previously healthy children admitted to the PICU in 2023 due to severe complications of community-acquired infections. Patients participated in a structured multidisciplinary follow-up program with standardized neurological, physical, cognitive, and psychosocial assessments performed up to 12 months after discharge.

resultsThirty-seven previously healthy children admitted in 2023 were included. The largest subgroup of the study population consisted of children with intracranial abscess or meningitis (43%), orbital abscess (27%), septic shock (14%), osteomyelitis (11%), and necrotizing fasciitis (5%). Despite appropriate acute management and survival of all patients, 25 children (68%) developed persistent neurological, somatic, or psychosocial impairments during follow-up. Common sequelae included motor deficits, neurocognitive dysfunction, sensory impairment, anxiety, and reduced physical endurance. Importantly, many complications were not apparent early after discharge and emerged several months later, with a median time to identification of approximately five months. Recovery trajectories varied considerably, reflecting the multidimensional nature of pediatric post-intensive care morbidity.

conclusionsA substantial proportion of previously healthy children experience clinically relevant, multidimensional morbidity after severe infections requiring intensive care. These findings highlight the importance of structured, multidisciplinary post-intensive care follow-up to enable early recognition of delayed sequelae and timely intervention, with the potential to reduce long-term morbidity and improve quality of life for affected children and their families.

Indexed as

Invasive streptococcal infectionsMultidisciplinary careNeurocognitive outcomePost–intensive care follow-uppost-intensive care syndrome (PICS-p)

Identifiers

PMID42223804
PMCPMC13226762

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