When Your Child Needs Special Care of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit?

A dedicated hospital unit called the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) offers critically ill newborns, kids, and teenagers intensive medical care. It is manned by skilled healthcare workers and furnished with cutting edge equipment.

The medical care team in the PICU makes visits to supervise and manage the health and treatment of each child. The team refers to these sessions as "rounds." The team visits each patient in the PICU during rounds to discuss any modifications to their condition or care plan.

To preserve the privacy of other patients, family members may be required to leave the PICU during rounds. A different hospital provides "family-centered care" where family members are encouraged to stay during rounds and to take an active role in their children's care in these PICUs.

The doctor who will be treating your child will contact you or have a face-to-face conversation with you to go over any significant updates if you are unable to participate in rounds for any reason.

You might want to stay in the PICU with your child at all times. While some hospitals don't permit it, others let parents spend the night in the PICU with their kids. In any case, some professionals advise returning home to get a good night's sleep so you can support your child from the best possible place.

In order to prevent the spread of germs that could endanger patients with compromised immune systems, certain hospitals also forbid other children from visiting the patients during the cold and flu season. When in the PICU, you might be asked to wear gloves or a mask to stop the spread of germs.

What is a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit?

The hospital unit that offers the greatest level of care to children is called the pediatric intensive care unit, or PICU. The PICU's staff is specially trained in caring for children, but it functions similarly to the intensive care unit (ICU), where adults receive specialized care. The PICU has the most child-friendly equipment and infrastructure. A highest degree of care that is typically not offered in other hospital departments is provided by this unit.

Which Patients are Admitted in PICU?

PICU patients comprise infants, young children, adolescents, preteens, and teens. The majority of PICU patients are under the age of 18. Even though they are older than 18, some people may still need the PICU's services due to specific conditions.

Neonatal intensive care units, or NICUs, are ICUs dedicated to caring for newborns that are housed apart from the PICU in certain hospitals. However, sick newborns and infants are treated in the PICU in hospitals without a NICU.

The PICU is where critically ill children go to get care and attention. Children often reach PICU for the following reasons:

• Surgery aftercare
• Accidental injury
• Lung & breathing issues
• Severe infection
• Organ failure
• Diabetes complications
• Epilepsy
• Cancer

Length of Stay in PICU

Some children stay in the PICU for one to two days. Others may stay up to weeks or months. However, longer stays are pretty rare. One study showed that only between 1% and 4.7% of children in the PICU stayed for longer than 12 days. Longer stays are, however, not common. According to one study, only 4.7% to 1% of kids admitted to the PICU remained there for more than 12 days.

PICU Team Members

Following are the caregivers that are present in PICU:

• Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses are the ones who provide general care to your child and collaborate with you to provide care to your child. They typically have fewer patients to care for at one time than other nurses in other departments, so they spend more time with each child.
• The attending physician is the medical professional in charge of managing the department and your child's care. A pediatric intensivist often acts as the present in the PICU. These physicians have received specific training in both critical care and pediatrics.
• Depending on the needs and state of your child, many other specialists might be involved in their care. You might also come in contact with pulmonologists, neurologists, cardiologists, and other medical specialties in the PICU.
• Children who require assistance with their mobility are treated by pediatric physical therapists. They assist children in increasing their strength, flexibility, and range of motion through engaging, kid-friendly techniques.

Equipment in PICU

Some patients in the PICU may require additional medical assistance. To help keep patients stable, doctors make use of machines and other tools. Among the apparatuses you may observe are:

• Intravenous catheters (IVs) and central lines
• Monitoring devices
• Breathing devices like ventilator
• Testing equipment like X-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds

Conclusion

Having your child in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for specialized care can be a stressful and emotional experience. Nonetheless, it gives them comfort to know that they are in the capable hands of medical experts and are surrounded by cutting edge equipment. The PICU staff puts forth endless effort to stabilize and enhance your child's condition, providing families with support and open communication all along the way. Parents can feel more confident in the care their child is receiving and maintain hope for a successful outcome by being aware of the vital role the PICU plays.

If you want the best pediatric intensive care in Jaipur for your child, then choose Surya Hospital. Book your consultation now!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: When does your child need special care from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit?

A: In general, any pediatric patient who is at risk of severe acute deterioration, neurological decompensation, hemodynamic instability or failure, or life-threatening dysfunction of at least one vital organ should be admitted to the PICU. This is especially true for patients who are cancer patients or recipients of bone marrow transplants.

Q2: What is the age limit for patients managed in PICU?

A: Newborns to young adults who are critically ill can be admitted to the PICU. The majority of patients are younger than eighteen.