Pediatric Neurology

6. Pediatric Intensive Care

A pediatric intensive care unit (also known as a pediatric intensive care unit) is a section of a hospital dedicated to treating critically ill infants, children, adolescents, and young adults between the ages of 0 and 21. A Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is often led by one or more pediatric intensivist or PICU consultants and comprised of physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists who have received additional training and experience in pediatric intensive care. Nurses, medical assistants, physical therapists, social workers, child life specialists and office workers may also work in the unit, although this varies greatly by geographic region. Due to the acuity of ICU patients and the potential risk of life-threatening complications, the ratio of experts to patients is often higher than in other parts of the hospital. Complex technologies and equipment are often used, such as mechanical ventilators and patient monitoring systems.