Get NYC Health Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Surge Capacity Plan

Medical surge capacity refers to the ability to evaluate and care for a markedly increased volume of patients—one that challenges or exceeds normal operating capacity.

Table 1 Days spent in an ICU (days)CharacteristicsSurvived to hospital discharge21+ICU length of stay, mean (±sd)3.4 ± 4.531.4 ± 12.0ICU length of stay, median (IQR)2 (1–4)28 (23–36)Non-ICU Hospital length of stay, mean (±sd)4.6 ± 6.19.1 ± 16.336 more rows

How long kids stay in the PICU depends on their condition. Some might stay a single day, while others stay for weeks or even months. As always, ask the doctor or nurse caring for your child if you have questions.

Pediatrics: Patients admitted to the pediatric ICU (PICU) may have either acute illness or acute exacerbations in the context of complex chronic conditions. Respiratory illnesses are the most common diagnoses. The median age of children admitted to the PICU ranges from less than 1 year to 1.9 years.

Laboratory evaluation and imaging may be required as well. Care will be taken to stabilize your child, and to settle your child and you into the PICU. Each patient has a private room and parents are permitted to stay at bedside with their children 24 hours daily.

The mean LOS for all patients was 5.0 days (standard deviation 11.1), with a median length of 2.0 days. A total of 9842 patients (97.7%) had PICU stays of 30 days or less.

A level I PICU is defined as a PICU that cares for the most critically ill child. Health care team members must be capable of providing a wide variety of care that typically involves intensive, rapidly changing, and progressive approach.

A level I PICU is defined as a PICU that cares for the most critically ill child. Health care team members must be capable of providing a wide variety of care that typically involves intensive, rapidly changing, and progressive approach.