Pediatric intensive care unit admissions network—rationale, framework and method of operation of a nationwide collaborative pediatric intensive care research network in Germany

Abstract

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Admissions (PIA) network aims to establish a nationwide database in Germany to gather epidemiological, clinical, and outcome data on pediatric critical illness. The heterogeneity of pediatric patients in intensive care units (PICU) poses challenges in obtaining sufficient case numbers for reliable research. Multicentered approaches, such as patient registries, have proven effective in collecting large-scale data. However, Germany lacks a systematic registration system for pediatric intensive care admissions, hindering epidemiological and outcome assessments. The PIA network intends to address these gaps and provide a framework for clinical and epidemiological research in pediatric intensive care. The network will interconnect PICUs across Germany and collect structured data on diagnoses, treatment, clinical course, and short-term outcomes. It aims to identify areas for improvement in care, enable disease surveillance, and potentially serve as a quality control tool. The PIA network builds upon the existing infrastructure of the German Pediatric Surveillance Unit ESPED and utilizes digitalized data collection techniques. Participating units will complete surveys on their organizational structure and equipment. The study population includes patients aged ≥28 days admitted to participating PICUs, with a more detailed survey for cases meeting specific criteria. Data will be collected by local PIA investigators, anonymized, and entered into a central database. The data protection protocol complies with regulations and ensures patient privacy. Quarterly data checks and customized quality reports will be conducted to monitor data completeness and plausibility. The network will evaluate its performance, data collection feasibility, and data quality. Eligible investigators can submit proposals for data analyses, which will be reviewed and analyzed by trained statisticians or epidemiologists. The PIA network aims to improve pediatric intensive care medicine in Germany by providing a comprehensive understanding of critical illness, benchmarking treatment quality, and enabling disease surveillance.