Learn to Care for Critically Ill Children

All parents worry about their children because of the nature of their relationship. But in some cases when the child is diagnosed with a critical condition like a congenital heart defect, things become even more difficult. And that is where NGO’s like Genesis Foundation help in aiding with medical care for children.

With critically ill children, they are usually in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The parent’s stress and tension skyrockets and the next thing in their minds is how do I help save the life of a critically ill child? This article discusses some background knowledge on the same, which might become useful eventually in helping parents to be mentally prepared for the same.

congenital heart disease treatment of child

What is the PICU?
The pediatric intensive care unit or PICU as it’s commonly known is the section of the hospital that provides the highest levels of medical care to critically ill children. Intensive nursing care ensures that there is a continuous monitoring of things like the heart rate, breathing, blood pressure etc. in children.
Usually children whose medical needs cannot be met in the main hospital wing are referred to the PICU. This includes children with serious infections, congenital heart defects or other heart conditions, breathing issues from asthma, diabetic complications, extremely fatal accidents etc. The duration of stay of a child in the PICU depends on the severity of their condition, some might stay a single day, others a few weeks or even months.

What should you expect if your child is in PICU?

A lot goes through in the PICU with children who are admitted and it might be quite overwhelming for parents. The amount of machines, alarms, display panels, noise and lights are quite a lot to absorb but here are a few that might help you understand it better:

• IVs. Almost all kids in the PICU have an intravenous catheter (or IV) for fluids and medications — usually in the hands or arms, but sometimes in their feet, legs, or even scalp. An IV is a thin, flexible tube inserted into the vein with a small needle. Once in the vein, the needle is removed, leaving just the soft plastic tubing.
• Medications. Most medicines can be given anywhere in the hospital, but certain ones that can have dangerous side effects are only administered to children who are closely monitored in the PICU. Instead of being given every few hours, some are given continuously, several IV drops at a time, and are known as drips.
• Monitors. Kids in the PICU are attached to monitors. The monitors are secured to the body with chest leads, which are small painless stickers connected to wires. These leads can count a child’s heart rate and breathing rate. Many kids are also connected to a pulse oximetry (pulse-ox) machine to check blood oxygen levels. Also painless, this machine is attached to the fingers or toes like a small bandage and emits a soft red light.
• Tests. Doctors may order a variety of tests to get more information, such as blood tests and urine tests. Sometimes they’ll test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Images or pictures of different parts of the body also might be taken through an X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography (also called a CT or CAT scan), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Ventilators. Kids in the PICU sometimes need extra help to breathe. This may mean getting some extra oxygen from a face mask or tubing in the nose. But sometimes, a child needs to be connected to the ventilator (or breathing machine). This is done with an endotracheal tube (a plastic tube placed into the windpipe through the mouth or nose) or a tracheostomy (a plastic tube inserted directly through the skin into the windpipe) connected to the ventilator on the other end.

Post PICU Care

Leaving the PICU might cause equal amounts of anxiety to parents. Thoughts like why the child’s being discharged from PICU when he’s better and not completely normal might cross the parents minds or how do I help save the life of a critically ill child if they’re not in the PICU?
But the doctors and nurses of PICU would not have discharged the child in the first place if they were not stable in their journey of recovery. So as a parent or caretaker, understanding the process of PICU might help you in coping better once the child is home as well.