Children with medical complexity and paediatric palliative care: data by a respiratory intermediate care unit.

Paediatric palliative care (PPC) is an active and total approach to the care of children with life-limiting conditions and their families. PPC programs provide ongoing treatment for children with medical complexity (CMC), many of whom will reach adulthood. Aim of the study is was to describe a population of CMCattendingin six preselected monthsthe RespiratoryIntermediate Care Unitof a tertiary referral hospital for southern and central Italy. We enrolled all CMC patients admitted toour unit in six preselected monthsand registered pathologies and different categories of childhood diseases, devices and needs, hospitalization and home care plan.Among the275 children admitted to our unit, 130 CMC were included.Median age was 9.9 (0.1-40.0) years. The main pathologies recorded were neuromuscular, neurological, respiratory, metabolic andmalformative diseases, genetic syndromes and outcomes of prematurity. Comorbidity due to respiratory, digestive, neurological, cardiac and urological involvement was present in a high percentage of cases. Among our patients, only 46were not carriers of any medical device. The average length of hospitalization was 7.0 (1.0 - 270.0) days with 2 (1.0 -7.0) admissions per year per patient. Home care activation was not required for 47out of 130 patients.Childreneligible for PPC are increasing and their survival results in a rise of comorbidities and special needs demanding multi-level interventions. Respiratory symptoms are the most recurrent ones observed,thus requiring an expert in PPC withexpertise in the respiratory field. Sharing data and knowledge of CMC needs may help improve care coordination. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.