PICU and heart surgery
After your child's surgery, they may go to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The surgeon or anaesthetist will update you, and the staff will take your child to PICU.
You'll understandably want to see your child soon after surgery. There may be a wait as doctors and nurses need time to assess your child for their well-being and safety before allowing visits. This is a routine part of the transfer process.
When you first see your child after heart surgery, they'll be connected to various equipment. This can feel overwhelming, but the nurse by their bedside will explain everything. Most of these items are listed below.
The machines attached to your child may make different sounds and have alarms. Nurses are highly experienced and will respond appropriately to alarms, knowing which ones need immediate attention and which are normal.
Note: Your child may not have all of these devices, but they are commonly used in PICU to monitor and manage their condition after surgery.
Respiratory and fluid management
- Ventilator (breathing machine)
- Nasal prongs and face mask for oxygen delivery
- Gastric tube (for stomach drainage and medication delivery)
- Chest drains (to drain blood, fluid, or air from around the heart and lungs)
- Peritoneal drain (for draining abdominal fluid)
- Urinary catheter (inserted into the bladder and monitors fluid status)
Monitoring and medication administration
- Arterial line (usually in the wrist, it monitors blood pressure and can be used to take blood)
- Central Venous Catheter (CVC) (for medications and fluids)
- Pressure lines (monitors heart pressures; removed before transfer to the ward)
- Pacing wires (temporarily regulates heart rhythm; removed if not needed)
- Bedside monitor (continuous monitoring of vital signs)
- Infusion pumps (administers fluids and medications)