Pediatric Intensive Care

Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) are specialized medical facilities dedicated to the critical care of infants, children, and adolescents facing severe medical conditions. These units are equipped with advanced technology and staffed by a highly skilled team of healthcare professionals with specialized training in pediatric critical care. The primary focus of a PICU is to provide intensive monitoring, specialized treatments, and tailored interventions to stabilize young patients and support their recovery. 

Conditions Treated By The Department

• Respiratory Distress and Failure: Conditions such as severe asthma, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may require advanced respiratory support.
• Sepsis and Septic Shock: Pediatric patients with severe infections that lead to systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction require immediate and targeted interventions.
• Cardiogenic Shock: This condition arises from severe heart failure in children, necessitating close monitoring and advanced interventions to support cardiac function.
• Neurological Emergencies: Conditions like severe seizures, traumatic brain injuries, and intracranial haemorrhages require specialized care to minimize brain damage.
• Post-Operative Care: Pediatric patients recovering from complex surgeries require vigilant monitoring and specialized interventions to ensure a successful recovery.

Key Procedures

• Endotracheal Intubation: The insertion of a breathing tube into the windpipe (trachea) to provide mechanical ventilation for children who cannot breathe adequately on their own due to respiratory failure or airway obstruction.
• Mechanical Ventilation: The use of mechanical ventilators to support or control a child's breathing when their respiratory system is compromised, allowing for oxygenation and ventilation.
• Central Venous Catheter Placement: Inserting central lines into large veins to monitor central venous pressure, administer medications, and fluids, and provide nutritional support to critically ill children.
• Arterial Line Placement: The placement of arterial catheters to continuously monitor blood pressure, obtain blood samples, and manage hemodynamic stability.
• Chest Tube Insertion: The insertion of chest tubes to drain pleural effusions, pneumothorax (collapsed lung), or other chest conditions that affect breathing.
• Lumbar Puncture: Collecting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the spinal canal to diagnose or rule out conditions such as meningitis or encephalitis.
• Bronchoscopy: Using a flexible or rigid bronchoscope to examine and clear airway obstructions, collect samples, or treat conditions affecting the airways.
• Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT): Providing continuous, slow removal of waste and excess fluids from the blood in children with kidney failure or severe electrolyte imbalances.
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO): The initiation and management of ECMO, a life support system that provides temporary heart and lung support for children with severe cardiac or respiratory failure.
• Cardiovascular Procedures: Pediatric cardiologists may perform cardiac catheterizations, balloon angioplasty, or device closures to manage congenital heart defects or critical cardiac conditions.
• Surgical Procedures: PICU patients often require surgical interventions such as tracheostomy, chest explorations, or neurosurgery to address specific medical issues.
• Dialysis: Providing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis to children with acute or chronic kidney failure.
• Percutaneous Tracheostomy: Inserting a tracheostomy tube through the skin and into the trachea to facilitate long-term mechanical ventilation.
• Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring: Placing specialized catheters to monitor cardiac and hemodynamic parameters, helping to guide treatment in critically ill children

Key Advantages

• Improved Survival Rates: Specialized care in PICUs has significantly improved survival rates for pediatric patients facing critical medical conditions.
• Prevention of Complications: Close monitoring and targeted interventions in PICUs help prevent or quickly address potential complications, improving overall patient outcomes.
• Optimized Recovery: Early and specialized care in PICUs sets the foundation for successful recovery, rehabilitation, and return to baseline health for pediatric patients.

Call 011-42888888 to book an appointment with a specialist at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute.