OBJECTIVETo simplify the Pediatric Critical Illness Scoring (PCIS), to evaluate the simplified PCIS and to make the simplified scoring system applicable in the grassroots hospitals.

METHODSTotally 1,036 patients were scored by PCIS on 1, 3, 7 and the last (discharged or dead) hospital days. The PCIS has 10 items. The full score is 100. The scores of approximately 100, approximately 80, and approximately 70 represent non-serious, serious, and extremely serious patients' condition. The PaO(2) and pH (2 items), BUN or creatinine (3 items), plasma sodium and potassium (5 items) were deleted from PCIS's 10 items in turn. The remaining 8, 7, and 5 items were applied as new scoring system after the original scores were multiplied by 0.8, 0.7, and 0.5. The simplified PCIS was evaluated by comparing the patients' condition that was assessed by PCIS. The consistency rate of patients' condition that was obtained by using PCIS and simplified PCIS should be over 80%. The mortality of non-serious, serious, and extremely serious groups that were defined by using PCIS and simplified PCIS was observed and compared.

RESULTSWhen 2, 3 and 5 items were deleted from the PCIS on d1 scoring the consistency rates of the patients' condition were 82.6%, 80.7%, and 69.9%. While 5 items remained on d1 scoring the consistency rate was lower than 80%. When the same 2, 3 and 5 items were deleted from PCIS on d3, d7 and last scoring, the consistency rates of the patients' condition were 81.5% approximately 97.1%. The PCIS and simplified PCIS had a close correlation (r = 0.629-0.948, P < 0.001). In PCIS the mortality rates of non-serious, serious and extremely serious patients were significantly different. When simplified PCIS was used, the mortality rates of the three groups also had significant differences (chi(2) = 86.13-740.33, P < 0.001). Within a group of patients with the same condition, the mortality rates were not significantly different for PCIS and simplified PCIS. For instance, on d1 and last scoring, the mortality rates of extremely serious patients were 29.8%, 67.3% for PCIS and 30.0%-27.9%, 66.3%-64.4% for simplified PCIS.

CONCLUSIONWhen 2 items (PaO(2) and pH) were deleted from d1 PCIS scoring and 5 items (PaO(2) and pH, BUN or creatinine, plasma sodium and potassium) were deleted from d3, d7, and last PCIS scoring, the results of assessment of patients' condition were basically the same as those of PCIS. The consistency rates of PCIS and simplified PCIS were > 80%. When simplified PCIS was applied, mortality rates of non-serious, serious, and extremely serious patients were significantly different that were the same as those of PCIS. In patients with the same condition, the mortality rates were not significantly different between the simplified PCIS and PCIS.