Published online April 1, 2005
PEDIATRICS Vol. 115 No. 4 April 2005, pp. e382-e386 (doi:10.1542/10.1542/peds.2004-1920)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Odetola, F. O.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, M. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Odetola, F. O.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, M. M.
Related Collections
Right arrow Office Practice
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

ELECTRONIC ARTICLE

A National Survey of Pediatric Critical Care Resources in the United States

Folafoluwa O. Odetola, MD*,{ddagger}, Sarah J. Clark, MPH{ddagger}, Gary L. Freed, MD, MPH{ddagger}, Susan L. Bratton, MD, MPH* and Matthew M. Davis, MD, MAPP{ddagger},§,||

* Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases
{ddagger} Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit
§ Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
|| Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Objective. To characterize resources available for the care of critically ill and injured children in the United States.

Study Design. In January through May 2004, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of medical directors of intensive care facilities for children.

Results. Pediatric critical care medical directors from 257 of 337 eligible hospitals responded to the survey (response rate: 76%). The median number of beds was 12 (interquartile range: 8–17 beds), with a median of 58 admissions per PICU bed (interquartile range: 44–70 admissions per PICU bed) in 2003. The median numbers of admissions per PICU bed were not statistically different among PICUs of different sizes. Fewer than 6% of hospitals shared PICU space with space for critically ill adults. The smallest units (1–6 beds) had higher physician and nurse staffing ratios per PICU bed. Advanced therapeutic technology, particularly renal replacement and inhaled nitric oxide therapy, was significantly more likely to be available in larger PICUs (≥7 beds).

Conclusions. PICUs with the fewest beds had higher physician and nurse staffing ratios per PICU bed and lower resource capacity for high-intensity renal and respiratory therapy. The impact of PICU resource availability on referral patterns and outcomes of pediatric critical illnesses warrants additional study.

Key Words: pediatric intensive care units • nurses • physicians • medical devices • health facilities

Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range • AHA, American Hospital Association

Accepted Nov 15, 2004.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?