Serum Vitamin D Status in Critically Ill Children With Acute Respiratory Infections

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Conditions studied: Acute Respiratory Infections, Critical Illness in Children, Vitamin D Deficiency, Pediatric Respiratory Infections, Respiratory Distress

In brief

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are among the leading causes of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality in children worldwide, particularly among critically ill patients admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Vitamin D has an important role not only in bone metabolism but also in regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses, especially within the respiratory tract. Recent evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory infections, greater disease severity, prolonged hospitalization, and higher mortality rates in critically ill children. This observational cross-sectional study aims to assess serum vitamin D status among critically ill children admitted to the PICU with acute respiratory infections and to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D levels, severity of respiratory illness, and risk of mortality. The study will include pediatric patients aged 1 month to 16 years admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Assiut University Children's Hospital. Clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations, including serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, serum calcium, and alkaline phosphatase, will be performed within the first 24 hours of admission. Severity of respiratory distress will be assessed using the Pediatric Respiratory Severity Score (PRESS), while mortality risk will be evaluated using the Pediatric Risk of Mortality Score (PRISM III). The findings of this study may contribute to better understanding of the role of vitamin D in critically ill children with respiratory infections and may support future strategies for early risk assessment and improved clinical management in pediatric intensive care settings.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06547749

Run by

Assiut University

People needed

63

Starts

2026-06-01

Expected to finish

2027-04-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-08

Who can join

Age: 0 and older, up to 16. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Children aged between 1 month and 12 years.
• Admitted to the PICU with a primary diagnosis of acute respiratory infection.
• Diagnosis confirmed by clinical symptoms and radiological evidence.

You may not qualify if…

• Children with known chronic bone diseases or metabolic disorders.
• Patients receiving vitamin D supplementation prior to admission.
• Patients with chronic renal or hepatic failure.

Where it is running

• Assiut university — Asyut, Egypt

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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