Our Services

Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)

Description of Services

The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) provides supervision and support for infants and children with congenital or acquired heart disease. The CICU is staffed by full-time, board-certified pediatric intensivists and cardiologists with special expertise in the management of patients with cardiac disorders, as well as specially trained nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, social workers and multiple other professionals, working in close collaboration with pediatric cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons.

The CICU is a technologically advanced 12-bed unit featuring all private rooms. It is designed to meet the needs of complex cardiac care that's family-centered.

Additionally, the Heart Institute at Children’s Hospital ranks as one of only two high-volume pediatric cardiovascular programs in the United States with a surgical mortality rate of less than 1%, according to 2008-2009 data compiled by the Society for Thoracic Surgery. Nationally, the average mortality rate for high-volume pediatric cardiovascular programs was 3.4%.

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Telemedicine

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is leading the way in the development of telemedicine services to meet the needs of young patients regionally and around the world. Our state-of-the-art digital technologies allow us to provide complex pediatric care through remote and virtual means wherever our expertise is needed at anytime of the day or night.

Our e-CICU Program offers remote consultation of critical care units by Children's world-class pediatric intensivists and cardiologists, when complex critical care expertise is required.

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Referral Requirements

Emergency referrals should be made using the Children’s Hospital Communications Center, 412-692-5000. Questions also may be directed to the intensivist on call by calling the hospital operator at 412-692-5325.