The PICU has 24 bed spaces and is situated on the second floor
of The Royal Children's Hospital next to the Neonatal unit , close to Medical Imaging,
Theatre complex and Laboratory services all on the same floor; with
its own direct helipad access.
This busy dynamic unit cares for approximately 1400 admissions
per annum. Referrals are made from all over the state of Victoria,
which accounts for 80% of admissions, Southern New South Wales and
Tasmania. A significant number of children with cardiac problems
are referred to the unit and admitted from interstate and overseas.
The unit is staffed for 17 beds but this is expanded to cover the
24 beds in busy periods.
About 600 patients a year are admitted following cardiac
surgery where conditions such as Tetra logy of Fallot, Hypo
plastic Left Heart, Transposition of the great arteries are usual
with many being offered surgery not undertaken elsewhere in
Australia.
In addition, patients are admitted with respiratory problems
such as croup, bronchiolitis and asthma as well as more complex
problems such as tracheo-bronchial malacia and primary pulmonary
hypertension. The unit also assesses and prepares children for home
ventilation, cares for children after heart, liver and renal
transplantation.
It is the National Paediatric Extra
Corporeal Life Support (ECLS/ECMO/VAD) center with 10-20 cases
per annum.
Other admissions occur as a result of burns, neurological disease,
metabolic derangement and septicemia and all aspects of
peadiatrics.
It is also the State Trauma Centre for paediatrics, seeing several
admissions a week to PICU, most directly from the helipad.
The unit provides an Aphoresis service for oncology patients.
Plasma and Heamofiltration are performed routinely for sepsis,
renal failure and other indications.
The Medical Emergency Team (MET) is operated for the hospital
from the unit.
The Peadiatric Emergency Transport
Service (PETS) is run by the unit and provides a 24-hour
service for advice and retrieval on children above 5kg in weight
living in Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales. This
accounts for 550 patients a year retrieved to the hospital, 300 of
which are admitted to PICU.
Research is encouraged and
controlled trials are in progress.
The unit
The unit itself has a central desk area surrounded by six rooms,
one of which is an isolation room with hepafiltration. Within each
room there is space to accommodate four to six patients. Most have
pleasant outside views and large windows for natural light. Each
bed spot is fully monitored for critically ill children's care
delivery. All rooms have phones and a intercom and computer access
will be online to every room in 2004.
The unit is co located with the NNU and shares some services and
equipment. Neonates requiring ECLS or cardiac surgery are cared for
in the PICU. There are several meeting rooms and an audio visually
equipped seminar room within the unit. The waiting rooms are
limited in space but can provide emergency overnight sleeping beds
for families waiting for hospital parent accommodation.
A Post Natal Mothers Unit is situated in close proximity to the
PICU to enable mothers to be transferred and admitted to RCH with
their baby following a normal delivery. Dominicillary midwives from
the Royal Women's Hospital in conjunction with the NNU staff
provide ongoing postnatal care.