The Department of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, within the larger Department of Critical Care Medicine of UPMC, provides full intensive care services for pediatric patients from Infancy to young adults. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) cares for children following severe trauma and major surgery, including transplantation, as well as those suffering from a broad range of critical medical disorders.
If your child suffers a head injury or is taken to our intensive care unit following surgery, you can take comfort in knowing our Pediatric Neurocritical Care Service is among the best in the world.
The PICU and Neuro Trauma Unit Teams
Our teams provide maximum support and supervision and are staffed by full-time, board-certified, pediatric intensivists working in cooperation with all other physicians in the hospital as well as with specially trained nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, social workers, and other professionals
We have a team of specially trained critical care physicians and nurses who focus on the unique needs of neurotrauma patients as well as children with other critical neurologic disorders. We offer an intensive neurotrauma fellowship for nurses and have instilled consistent, clinically and scientifically based protocols throughout the Pediatric Neurocritical Care Service.
Our Pediatric Neurocritical Care service offers both excellence and consistency. The clinician who treats your child becomes your child’s physician of record, taking care of your child’s needs throughout his or her hospital stay. From resuscitation to recovery, our mission is to provide the best care and practices for the best outcome for your child.
National Referral Center
The Critical Care Medicine Department at Children’s Hospital is a national referral center. Our Neurocritical Care Service, in particular, provides maximum supervision and support of patients of all ages who are at risk for, or suffering from life-threatening conditions of the head, brain, or spinal cord.
Ground and Air Transportation
Ground and air transportation arrangements for critically-ill patients are coordinated and monitored by the Children’s Hospital Communications Center, a pediatric emergency dispatch system. Frequent updates are provided to the receiving physician, and medical advice is provided to the referring physician for stabilization prior to transport. Backup from attending intensivists and surgeons is available 24-hours a day via phone dispatch, while multiple conferencing capabilities enable consultation with appropriate specialists.
