I’ve chosen to raise much needed funds for The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU

The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is a 27-bed unit providing supportive care to 1400 infants, children and adolescents each year. The unit consists of four close observation beds with the ability for parents to stay at the bedside, along with two COVID rooms and 8 isolation rooms.

This highly specialised unit is staffed by paediatric staff specialists and nursing staff trained in paediatric intensive care, who deliver services to children and young people with a wide range of medical and surgical conditions. We manage all critical illnesses, including mechanical ventilation, mechanical support of the circulation, and support of organ systems.

Doctors from across the Children’s Hospital, along with a number of Allied Health staff, including music therapy, will also contribute to the care of children and young people admitted to the PICU.

In addition to the clinical space, two parent accommodation rooms are available for short term use when families unexpectedly arrive with their child to paediatric intensive care, along with a family room and kitchenette.

Patients may be admitted following surgery including cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, liver or renal transplant or with a range of other conditions such as respiratory illness, trauma, burns or other severe medical conditions.  We provide an Outreach Service for review of ward-based patients following discharge from PICU, and any patient experiencing clinical deterioration where PICU assistance is requested or any patient that may require PICU admission.

Within the PICU a number of research studies are being conducted  and contribute data to many collaborative research projects in paediatric intensive care across Australia and New Zealand, as well as internationally

Current research project highlights include:

• Randomized control trial of nitric oxide on cardiopulmonary bypass to infants - Nitric Oxide on Cardio Pulmonary Bypass in Congenital Heart Disease study 

• Randomized  control trial of approaches to ventilation in severe lung disease – Prospect study

• Randomized control trial of approaches to intubation in critically ill children – Thrive study

• Point prevalence study in children ventilated for more than 14 days - LongVentKids Study

• Neurodevelopmental outcome of infants following ECMO support

• Study into a comparison of blood products for the management of severe bleeding in trauma

• Data linkage study of developmental and educational outcomes in children following PICU discharge

• Contributor to the Paediatric Resuscitation Quality Collaborative

Having a child in PICU can quickly alter the lives of families, which is why we adopt a family-centred partnership in care. Parental presence, involvement in care giving, along with open communication between staff and parents are all part of our family-centred care.

Your support will make a difference and the donations will help fund:

- Life-saving equipment

- Important research

- Bereavement services

- Staff training and development

- Improved facilities for our patients and families