The Importance of Pediatric Intensive Care Units

The Importance of Pediatric Intensive Care Units

 

An intensive care unit (ICU) is a common term we hear a lot when talking about medicine, hospitals, and healthcare. But, what exactly is an intensive care unit? Well, ICUs are a special department in a hospital or other healthcare facility that provides critical care medicine to patients suffering from severe or life-threatening illnesses, conditions, or injuries. These patients often require advanced care, including close supervision, constant monitoring, life support equipment, frequent medication, resuscitation, and even end-of-life care.

There are also pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), which are specialized to focus on the critical medical needs of infants, children, and adolescents. Some of the reasons a child might be admitted to a PICU include congenital irregularities, trauma, poisoning, severe infection, extensive surgery, immunological disorders, and more. These units work to give the highest—often lifesaving—level of care to these young patients.

Just like with normal ICUs, PICUs provide intensive care, therapy, and medications to treat the conditions of children. These often include IVs, ventilators, diagnostic tests, monitors, and the necessary medicines, all of which are closely supervised and administered.

Pediatric intensive care units help save the lives of children every single day, but PICUs are not always accessible to provide the necessary care a struggling child may need. In many developing countries, there is not the same level of access to critical medical care as in developed countries. This leaves people—especially children—incredibly vulnerable in the event of an emergency.

In response to the limited access to healthcare in the places it is needed most, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) continues to provide medical and humanitarian care for children and their families through our hospitals, pediatric medical programs, hospital infrastructure projects, and medical missions. These efforts help to ensure that children in need get the vital medical care they require.

PCRF is not a political or religious organization. Our mission is to provide medical and humanitarian relief collectively and individually to Arab children throughout the Middle East, regardless of their nationality, politics, or religion. We rely on charitable giving to provide medical treatment, surgeries, safety, shelter, and support to children and their families suffering from pediatric heart disease. Find out how you can get involved and help make a difference in children’s lives today!