pediatric intensive care unit
comprehensive care for critically ill and injured children
The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Dayton Children’s provides the highest level of care for children with a critical illness or injury. The unit is staffed round-the-clock by experienced, board-certified pediatric intensivists, while physicians from 35 subspecialty areas, including pulmonology, cardiology, and cancer care, are always available for a phone consultation and bedside care.
During your child’s stay, you will get to know our dedicated nurses, who have extensive training in trauma care and pediatric advanced life support. An advanced practice nurse and a clinical nurse specialist will work closely with your family to answer your questions and help you understand your child’s medical needs. In fact, we consider you and your family to be important members of your child’s health care team. We encourage you to share your perspective and input, and participate in family-centered rounds, which will take place in your child’s room every morning. Learn more about our family-centered care.
With our low nurse-to-patient ratio, each patient receives personalized and attentive care. Most patient rooms in the PICU are private, and are equipped with advanced technology to ensure that your child receives the best care possible, such as:
- Bedside therapies such as dialysis and breathing treatments, and tests, such as blood draws and X-rays. This means that children can remain in the PICU, rather than being transported to other areas of the hospital for care.
- Centralized monitoring that allows our team to keep your child under close observation at all times
- Advanced ventilation technology for children with breathing issues.
- Advanced monitoring for children with pulmonary, neurological and vascular conditions.
The PICU received the Ohio Patient Safety Institute Best Practices Award in 2009 for our outstanding record of decreasing incidence of central line bloodstream infections.
