The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at NAM III was established and began operations in February 2003. Since then, it has remained the only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Cyprus, in both the public and private sectors. As such, it serves as the sole referral and treatment center for critically ill children from all districts of free Cyprus.
The Pediatric ICU is a separate unit of NAM III Hospital; it has 12 beds and provides specialized, continuous, 24-hour care for critically ill infants and children aged 15 days to 16 years. It also provides care for children aged 16 to 18 with underlying chronic conditions and low body weight who cannot be treated in an adult ICU.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at NAM III is staffed by specialized pediatric intensivists and specially trained nursing staff, and, in managing patient cases, collaborates with physicians from all pediatric specialties, as well as with physical therapists, a psychologist, and a clinical dietitian, providing holistic care.
Specialized Care in Critical Situations
Examples of life-threatening conditions in children that require admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) include injuries such as severe traumatic brain injury, infections, such as sepsis and septic shock; respiratory problems, such as a severe asthma attack; accidents, such as drowning or a snake bite; cardiac problems, such as myocarditis and cardiac arrhythmias, as well as poisonings.
In addition, children are admitted to the ICU for postoperative monitoring following lengthy surgical procedures, such as surgeries to correct scoliosis and craniosynostosis.
In this context, NAM III collaborates with surgical teams from abroad, such as doctors from the Shriners Hospitals in the United States, so that children can undergo surgery in Cyprus and are not forced to travel abroad with their families.
State-of-the-art medical technology
MENP is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the continuous monitoring and recording of vital signs, as well as for supporting vital functions (ventilators for conventional and high-frequency mechanical ventilation, devices for non-invasive mechanical ventilation and for high-flow oxygen delivery, a device for NO administration, devices for hemodialysis and plasmapheresis, pumps for continuous drug administration, etc.), in accordance with international and current standards.
International Accreditation and Quality of Services
The Unit has recently received accreditation from the independent international organization Accreditation Canada, following an evaluation of its organization, operations, and the services it provides.
Home Care and Support
In addition to inpatient care for children, the Pediatric ICU oversees and organizes home care for children who have undergone tracheostomies and may require respiratory support via a ventilator. To this end, a doctor and a nurse make home visits.
The Unit’s Work in Numbers
To date, more than 4,000 severely ill children have been treated at the Unit. Initially, the number of cases was approximately 100 per year, but in recent years it has increased significantly, reaching about 200 cases per year.
The annual mortality rate is approximately 4%, a figure comparable to those recorded in pediatric intensive care units in Western countries with advanced healthcare systems.
Education and Scientific Training
The Unit also carries out educational work, providing daily training—delivered by both its physicians and nurses—to medical and nursing students at the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology (TEPAK), and other private universities. At the same time, residents in Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery receive training at the Unit as part of their residency program.
