Aim: To determine whether there is an association between the STAT metrics and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) failure and to describe the factors influencing this outcome in pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery at a federal referral hospital.
Study Design: This analytical cross-sectional study included patients under 18 years of age with CHD who underwent corrective or palliative surgery and required postoperative NIV support between January 2020 and December 2022. The type of ventilation (prophylactic or therapeutic NIV) was determined by the multidisciplinary clinical team based on surgical complexity, hemodynamic stability, and the patient’s respiratory status. Continuous quantitative and dichotomous qualitative variables were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (multivariate logistic regression). The R statistical package, version 4.4.1, was used, with a 95% confidence level.
Results: A total of 110 patients (mean age: 18 months; mean weight: 8 kg) met the inclusion criteria. NIV failure occurred in 21% of cases, predominantly due to respiratory causes. STAT Categories 2, 3, 4, and 5 showed no statistically significant association with NIV failure (p>0.05). Clinical relevance was noted for NIV duration (OR=1.06), mechanical ventilation duration (OR=1.01), and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (OR=1.01).
Conclusion: No significant association was found between the STAT Mortality Score and Categories and NIV failure. Although mechanical ventilation duration, NIV duration, and ICU length of stay showed a weak positive association (OR=1.01–1.06), these values indicate minimal clinical impact. These findings suggest that, while STAT metrics may assist in patient risk stratification, other postoperative factors play a greater role in predicting NIV failure.