Background:Selenium plays important role in the protection against lipid peroxidation, mediating inflammatory response. This study aimed to assess the effects of changes in plasma selenium on critically ill children
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 critically ill children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit in Aswan university hospital. All children were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations: (CBC, CRP, Blood culture, and plasma selenium, estimated on 5 days after admission.
Results: median age were 27 months, 55 % of cases were males. 15 % had a history of pre-natal complication, 17.5% had a history of post-natal complication and 20% were developmentally delayed. 30 % of cases had respiratory disorders, 20% had gastrointestinal disorders, and 15% had neurological disorders. 15 % of cases positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae, 5% positive for Staph aureus, 2.5 % positive for E. Coli and, 2.5 % positive for Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. 30 % had pneumonic patches in chest X-ray. Median of selenium level was 0.52 μmol/L with range between 0.13 and 1.50. low selenium level was more among children with post-natal complication, p value =0.031
Conclusion: low plasma selenium among critical ill children admitted to intensive care unit.