Long-term neurocognitive outcomes after pediatric intensive care: exploring the role of drug exposure.

Animal studies have indicated that exposing the maturing brain to clinical drugs may cause neurodegeneration. Clinical studies show mixed evidence regarding the association between clinical drugs and neurocognitive outcomes. This study provides evidence for considerably lower neurocognitive functioning among children with a history of PICU admission for bronchiolitis compared to healthy peers. Bronchiolitis seldom manifests neurologically and is therefore not expected to affect neurocognitive functioning in itself. We found no evidence supporting a relation between drug exposure (i.e., sedatives, analgesics and anesthetics) and long-term neurocognitive outcomes. Findings underline the importance of structured follow-up after PICU admission.