Cardiac Critical Care (CICU)
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Advanced Recovery in Dedicated Pediatric CICUs
Nemours Children’s Cardiac Centers in Delaware and Florida provide highly advanced, award-winning, team-based intensive care for children with critical heart conditions. We give kids, and families, the best possible recovery after surgery, a procedure or other critical heart situation.
Our surgical and medical cardiac intensivists care for kids in cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) equipped with the latest life-sustaining technologies. Our specialized nurses and advanced practice providers are experts in caring for newborns and children of all ages through young adulthood.
We partner with skilled cardiac anesthesiologists, pharmacists, dietitians, cardiac psychologists, cardiovascular geneticists, respiratory therapists and many others to provide complete critical heart care.
And we provide care that’s well beyond medicine. Our Child Life specialists, social workers and pastoral care providers have experience working with kids and families in the CICU. We offer exactly what you need when you need it. We’re here every step of the way.
Two Leading Pediatric Heart Centers
Our heart centers offer highly advanced, integrated care just for kids and young adults with congenital heart disease. Learn about our focused programs, innovative research and exceptional outcomes.
“We have been surrounded by miracles, blessings, compassion and support.”
“Our family experienced top-notch service at Nemours, we couldn’t imagine going through this without the doctors, nurses, and caregivers there.”
- one
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Your Child’s Best Possible Recovery
Children who need critical heart care do better with a whole team working together, 24/7. We partner with you to care for your child throughout your journey.
Our team rounds daily with families in the CICU, sharing expertise and information for your child’s best possible recovery.
Your child’s care is provided by seasoned cardiac critical care experts, not first-year residents. The residents you see are in their last years of training.
Our heart center is designed where everything is close by and integrated for the safest possible transition of care.
We have vast experience working with the tiniest newborns to adults up to age 40.
Your Child’s Best Possible Recovery
Children who need critical heart care do better with a whole team working together, 24/7. We partner with you to care for your child throughout your journey.
In Delaware we offer all forms of advanced life support, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and EXCOR ventricular assisted device (VAD) support and more.
Our team rounds daily with families in the CICU, sharing expertise and information for your child’s best possible recovery.
Your child’s care is provided by seasoned cardiac critical care experts, not first-year residents. The residents you see are in their last years of training in cardiac intensive care.
Our heart center is designed where everything is close by and integrated for the safest possible transition of care.
Programs & Services
Cardiac critical care at Nemours includes everything your child and family needs for physical, emotional and psychological well-being. Together our team offers the full range of services, including:
- Continuous cardiac monitoring using the latest technologies and approaches
- Respiratory support, like mechanical ventilation to manage breathing
- Medicine management and support
- Advanced treatments like cardiac interventions using catheters (tiny tubes) threaded through blood vessels and complex cardiothoracic surgery
- Advanced life support, including the full range of mechanical circulatory support like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and ventricular assist devices (in Delaware)
- Cardiovascular genetics services to diagnose and manage diseases passed along in families
- Nutrition and feeding services to enhance health and recovery
- Cardiac rehabilitation therapies, including heart-specific physical, occupational and speech therapies
- Cardiac psychology care for the whole family, including programs to protect your child’s brain development
- Family support and resources to help you adjust and cope throughout the process
Cardiac Conditions & Treatments
We see many conditions — far too many to list here. The conditions we treat vary depending on the location and providers selected. Don’t see a condition listed? Call us.
Related Specialties & Programs
Empowering You to Care for Your Child at Home
The Nemours inpatient heart care team helps you prepare for and manage your child’s care at home. We make sure you have everything you need, including training on devices, equipment and medicines before you leave.
Care That Goes Beyond Medicine
When your family comes to Nemours, you’re well cared for. We want you to understand your child’s condition and how to help them stay healthy and succeed. We help you find community resources for your family. We also offer many supportive services, like social work, lodging at nearby Ronald McDonald Houses, creative therapies, pet therapy, Child Life programs and much more.
Coming to the CICU
If your child is coming to the CICU after surgery or a procedure, it helps to know what to expect. Our team will guide you and answer all your questions. But generally, here’s what may happen:
- You can see your child right after surgery for a short time. They may have a tube taped to their nose or mouth to help them breathe, along with other lines attached to monitor blood pressure and deliver medicines.
- We’ll then ask you to leave for about an hour so we can settle your child after surgery. We’ll order lab tests, X-rays and do other assessments during this time.
- In your child’s room, we’ll show you the equipment and answer all your questions.
- While your child is here, you can stay with them every day, all day. We encourage you to make their room as comfortable as possible and join in their care as much as you can. We ask that only two people be at bedside at a time.
- Once it’s safe, your child may transition to special inpatient heart unit. The critical care team works closely with the inpatient team to make sure everything goes smoothly, and safely.
- Before discharge home, you get all the information you need about healing, medicines, devices and follow-up appointments.
From Nemours KidsHealth®
The more you know, the better you can help your child grow up healthy. The experts at Nemours KidsHealth — one of the world’s most visited websites for health information for kids — offer advice you can count on.
Watch the Heart Pump
When your child has a heart or blood vessel condition, you’ll learn a lot about the anatomy of the heart and lungs. Here’s a quick review of the heart and circulatory system you can share with your child.
Heart Health Center
Learn everything about the heart, from how it works to what can go wrong and how to keep it healthy. Read about tests, treatments, heart conditions, surgeries and much more. We also offer family-friendly, heart healthy tips for eating right and getting physical activity.