Pediatric Intensive Care

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at University Hospital consists of 4 beds staffed by board-certified pediatric intensivists, dedicated critical care nurses, therapists, and other support personnel. We provide advanced technology to support children who are admitted with acute or chronic life-threatening illnesses. Medical and surgical diseases, including trauma, elevated intracranial pressure, brain masses, acute or severe respiratory failure, cardiovascular failure, metabolic or endocrine disorders, and other organ failure, can be managed with invasive and non-invasive monitoring and intervention in collaboration with many subspecialists. We treat children with conventional mechanical ventilation, high-frequency oscillation, non-invasive ventilation, and high-flow oxygen. Patients with neurological diseases or injuries can be managed with continuous video EEG and continuous ICP monitoring for both awake and sedated states. Pediatric anesthesiologists are available to support the surgical services and our Level 1 Trauma Center. Full-time air and ground transportation can be provided for children who need specialized care at University Hospital. Finally, our humanistic approach to care is supported by the teams from the Palliative Care group and the Chaplaincy, who help to alleviate the suffering of the children and their families.