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BACKGROUND Hepatic dysfunction has been associated with poor prognosis in critically ill patients. We aimed to investigate the incidence of early liver dysfunction and its association with probable predictive variables in a group of Iranian patients. METHODS The study was conducted on 149 pediatric patients referred to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran between April and October 2016. Serum levels of liver aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, and international normalized ratio (INR) were recorded in 24, 48, and 96 hours after admission. RESULTS On the first day of admission, direct bilirubin was the least (9.1%) and abnormal alkaline phosphatase level was the most (66.9%) common abnormalities. Abnormal levels of all tests except alkaline phosphatase were predictive of increased rate of mortality. In univariable logistic regression, abnormal aminotransferases (ALT and AST), INR, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin had significant relationship with patients' mortality after 24, 48, and 96 hours. In multivariable logistic regression only ALT and INR in the first 24 hours had significant relationship with mortality in final model. Although univariate logistic regression revealed a significant relationship between AST and ALT levels with PICU length of stay, no significant relationship was observed between these variables and PICU length of stay (except AST in the first 24 hours) in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION Increase in liver enzymes may predict mortality and increased PICU length of stay in critically ill children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]