Association between serum Calcium and 28-day mortality in Pediatric Pneumonia: Insights from a PICU Retrospective Cohort

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of serum calcium levels on the 28-day hospital mortality rate in children with pneumonia, a topic not extensively explored previously. Analyzing data from 414 patients at Zhejiang University Medical College's Children's Hospital (2010–2019), the study categorized patients by serum calcium levels for 28-day mortality monitoring. Results show that each 1mmol/dL increase in serum calcium reduced 28-day mortality risk by 26% (HR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.65–0.85). Patients with higher serum calcium levels had a 63% lower mortality rate compared to those with lower levels (HR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16–0.85). These findings, consistent across various subgroups, highlight serum calcium as a significant prognostic marker for pediatric pneumonia, influencing clinical decisions and pointing to the need for further research in this area.