Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) in children

Abstract

The survival rate of children who require intensive care for life-threatening diseases or injuries has recently increased significantly. In pediatric intensive care, a decrease in mortality is accompanied by an increase in morbidity. This trend has led to a shift in focus of attention from reducing mortality to optimizing outcomes in critically ill patients. A broader approach and focus on outcome in critically ill survivors has been greatly facilitated by the development of a concept that integrates post-intensive care (PIC) diseases into Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). The concept of PIC syndrome implies the occurrence of disorders in patients after IC in three main areas: mental health, cognitive functions and physical health, and also takes into account the state of the family of surviving patients, in particular, parents, who often have a deterioration in mental health. Diagnosis and treatment of this condition involves the work of a multidisciplinary team, in which it is desirable to include an osteopathic doctor in order to more effectively and timely diagnose and correct reversible functional disorders.