Journal of Emergency Practice and Trauma

Prognostic Nutritional Index as a Severity Indicator in Mechanically Ventilated Children

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hari chandana N G
Shruti Patil
Karthik Yadavalli
Isha S Kittur

Department of Paediatrics, M S Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

https://doi.org/doi:10.34172/jept.1810
Abstract
Introduction: Critically ill patients encounter significant health problems, which are reflected in the morbidity and mortality rates in intensive care units (ICUs). The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which gauges immunological and nutritional health, is increasingly recognized as a significant predictor of outcomes in critical care units. The present study aimed to assess the prognostic nutritional index as a marker of severity in mechanically ventilated children.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2023 to October 2024 in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of M S Ramaiah Medical College Hospital, Bangalore. All critically ill children admitted to the PICU during the study period were included. Purposive sampling was used; 184 consecutive critically ill children (93 were mechanically ventilated and 91 were non-mechanically ventilated) were included. Retrospective case record data collection was performed using a demographic questionnaire, including Paediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM-3) scoring and complete blood counts. The data were analysed using SPSS 22 software. Statistical analysis, including Pearson correlation, was used to evaluate the association between the prognostic nutritional index and the severity of illness. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.
Results: The mean PNI for ventilated patients was 47.01, which was significantly lower than that for non-ventilated patients (56.84; P = 0.002). PNI also showed a weak positive correlation with length of hospital stay (r = 0.03282, P = 0.7548) and PRISM-3 score (r = 0.105). The mean PNI was lower among non-survivors than among survivors (48.35 vs. 52.73), but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.298).
Conclusion: Our findings highlight that, at admission, PNI is a weak severity indicator among mechanically ventilated children.

Keywords

Prognostic nutritional index
Pediatric risk of mortality III score
Pediatric intensive care unit
Critical illness
Mechanical ventilation
Body mass index
Subjects
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Journal of Emergency Practice and Trauma
Volume 11, Issue 1
January 2025
Pages 17-21

  • Receive Date 27 July 2025
  • Revise Date 27 March 2026
  • Accept Date 11 February 2026

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