Predictive value of C‐reactive protein and the Pediatric Risk of Mortality III Score for occurrence of postoperative ventilator‐associated pneumonia in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease

IMPORTANCE: Ventilator‐associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common complications after cardiac surgery in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Early prediction of the incidence of VAP is important for clinical prevention and treatment. OBJECTIVE: To determine the value of serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels and the Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM III) score in predicting the risk of postoperative VAP in pediatric patients with CHD. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of clinical data of 481 pediatric patients with CHD who were admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit. These patients received mechanical ventilation for 48 hours or longer after corrective surgery. On the basis of their clinical manifestations and laboratory results, patients were separated into two groups of those with VAP and those without VAP. CRP levels were measured and PRISM III scores were collected within 12 hours of admission to the pediatric intensive care unit. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the association of CRP levels and the PRISM score with the occurrence of postoperative VAP. A linear regression model was constructed to obtain a joint function and receiver operating curves were used to assess the predictive value. RESULTS: CRP levels and the PRISM III score in the VAP group were significantly higher than those in the non‐VAP group (P < 0.05). Receiver operating curves suggested that using CRP + the PRISM III score to predict the incidence of VAP after congenial heart surgery was more accurate than using either of them alone (CRP + the PRISM III score: sensitivity: 53.2%, specificity: 85.7%). When CRP + the PRISM III score was greater than 45.460, patients were more likely to have VAP. INTERPRETATION: Although using CRP levels plus the PRISM III score to predict the incidence of VAP after congenial heart surgery is more accurate than using either of them alone, its predictive value is still limited.