Serum selenium level among critically ill child in Aswan university hospital .

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 that 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 including (CBC, CRP, Blood culture, and plasma selenium, estimated on 5 days after admission. Results: median age was 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 were 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 critically ill children admitted to intensive care unit.