Latest news with #PICU
BBC News
7 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Charity Cosmic to support parents whose children are sent to ICU
Charlotte Creevy's son Seth was two weeks old when he stopped breathing and was rushed to intensive care at a London hospital."What kept going through my mind was, 'Is he going to live or die?'" Charlotte said Seth had contracted three viruses and needed respiratory Seth recovered and returned home after being treated at the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington for three weeks in October a "first of its kind" support service by the charity Cosmic is being rolled out at the hospital to help parents like Charlotte cope with the trauma of experiencing their child going into intensive care. "It was awful. I would cry because it was hard not knowing what would happen to Seth," Charlotte added. "I was only two weeks postpartum after an emergency C-section, so I was physically not in a good way anyway." While she was watching over Seth in intensive care, his twin brother and one-year-old sister were being looked after by their grandmother. "Adding to it all, I was feeling guilty that my other two children were away from their mum." Chief executive of Cosmic, Susannah Forland said "things like the beeping of a fridge can trigger trauma or flashbacks".She added: "The impact can be long-lasting and far-reaching after the families return home. "Our service will bridge the gap between hospital and home, providing a vital safety net during one of the most emotionally vulnerable times in a parent's life."Research at St Mary's Hospital found that early intervention helped reduce symptoms of PTSD and other long-term mental health issues among parents, following their child's discharge from intensive care. "Surviving intensive care is a huge relief, but it can also mark the beginning of a complex emotional journey," said Dr Simon Nadel, a consultant in paediatric intensive care at St Mary's Hospital, who was involved in the research."We've found that 75-80% of parents develop PTSD after their children are discharged from intensive care units. That can have long-term effects, such as the avoidance of returning to hospital in the future."Our new post-discharge support service is a proactive, compassionate response to the psychological impact parents often face." Charlotte said the image of baby Seth being taken from her side to be resuscitated still stays with her. Long after he left hospital, she would become extremely anxious when any of her children fell said support from the charity made a big difference: "Cosmic put me in touch with a psychologist so I could start to process some of the emotional stuff going on." After a successful pilot, Cosmic is funding and delivering the post-PICU service on a permanent basis. It involves providing parents with a booklet containing information and coping mechanisms, a follow-up telephone call by trained staff, and ongoing referral for counselling where supports the children's intensive care units at St Mary's and Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea hospitals. The charity hopes its post-PICU service will be rolled out across other NHS hospitals in the future.
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Miracle recovery for baby on life support at Waterfall City Hospital
Baby's life was at risk due to a serious chest infection but expert care and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation helped him recover. When a two-month-old baby's chest infection suddenly turned serious, he was not breathing properly and was slipping in and out of consciousness, says his mother, remembering the horrifying realisation. 'I knew we had to try to keep him awake. He needed urgent medical care and so I drove with Nkateko on my lap to the emergency department at Netcare Waterfall City Hospital. 'I don't remember parking the car – I just rushed him inside and they immediately put him on oxygen,' said Nthabiseng Mlangeni. Baby's chest infection suddenly turned serious Nkateko was first admitted to the paediatric unit and his mother was able to remain with her son, rooming with him. After several days in the hospital, Nkateko was again struggling to breathe, despite medication and physiotherapy to help clear mucus from his lungs. Doctors transferred Nkateko, whose name means 'blessing', to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) under the care of paediatric intensivist Dr Palesa Monyake. ALSO READ: 'My hell after a botched op': Mother's life in ruins after botched birth surgery 'In the PICU, they started him on high-flow oxygen and Dr Monyake explained the unfamiliar environment to us, the treatment Nkateko was receiving and how they were monitoring his condition every minute. 'It was the hardest thing to leave my two-month-old baby and go home because parents can't room with their children in the high-care environment,' Mlangeni said. 'I did not sleep at all that night, between worrying about Nkateko and anxiously expecting a call from the hospital at any moment. It was one of many sleepless nights in the weeks ahead, but we came to trust the PICU team implicitly.' Swell up in response to infection The next day, Nkateko's vital statistics suddenly dropped further, requiring the baby to be placed on a ventilator, then on an oscillator to support his breathing. 'He started to swell up in response to the infection and it was extremely frightening to see all these tubes sticking out of him. 'Our families in Gauteng and other relatives travelled from different provinces to support us. We knew it was a very serious situation, and we prayed constantly,' Mlangeni said. ALSO READ: Smile Foundation's 25 years of changing lives Monyake said Nkateko was one of several children admitted to the PICU requiring critical care for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) so far this year. 'Babies' immune systems have not had the time to build up resistance to the many common germs such as RSV that generally would not cause serious illness among older children or adults,' she said. 'It is rare to put a child on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, however, this RSV season has been particularly brutal, and we are grateful this lifesaving option is available for our patients who are in the critical situation that Nkateko faced.' Life-threatening circumstances Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Sharmel Bhika said extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a form of life support in which specialised equipment artificially performs the functions of the heart and lungs, giving them a chance to heal. It is only considered in life-threatening circumstances for such young children. 'Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a valuable lifeline when other forms of ventilation are no longer proving effective. Without this intervention Nkateko may not be with us today. 'He required maximum mechanical ventilatory support and was not reaching targets for adequate oxygenation. ALSO READ: Baby girl's life saved by surgery 'Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was a clear indication in Nkateko's case with his rapid deterioration and increased demand on mechanical ventilatory support,' Bhika said. Mlangeni said: 'Although I felt like I was at breaking point, we remained prayerful. We also found comfort and support from the nurses and the unit manager Sister Jabulile Nxumalo. 'Every nurse who looked after Nkateko did so with so much care and they really supported us. The doctors, especially Dr Monyake, who was so supportive and prayed with us, and the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation doctors who ensured that we were updated throughout the process, and the families of other children who were also being cared for in the PICU.' Every nurse who looked after Nkateko did so with care The baby boy showed remarkable resilience as he fought for survival. 'Nkateko gradually improved enough that we could consider transitioning after three weeks back onto conventional ventilation,' Bhika said. Monyake added: 'This little boy had us so worried, it was an emotional roller-coaster, but his parents were amazing. They remained positive and drew strength from their faith.' NOW READ: Bara hospital: The good, bad and ugly
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Male mental health facility opens in Derby
A psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) designed to support men experiencing acute mental health crises has opened in Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said Kingfisher House - a 14-bed facility located on the Kingsway Hospital site - is the first of its kind in the facility is part of a £150m investment by the NHS designed to improve privacy, dignity and safety for Powell, the trust's chief executive, said the opening of the unit on Tuesday was a vital step towards ending inappropriate out of area placements. Kingfisher House is part of the trust's £150m Making Room for Dignity is designed to replace outdated facilities and bring the area's six main mental health hubs up to national standards. Care closer to home According to the trust, prior to the opening of Kingfisher House, those who needed the level of support offered by a PICU had to travel outside of Derbyshire to access an appropriate Powell said: "Until now, Derbyshire was one of the only regions in England without a local psychiatric intensive care unit."This meant that men in acute mental health crisis requiring intensive care had to be placed in facilities outside the county – often far from their families and support networks."This not only disrupted continuity of care but also added emotional and logistical strain on service users and their loved ones. Kingfisher House directly addresses this gap, enabling people to receive the right care, closer to home."Alongside Kingfisher House, the programme's other two new builds are the Carsington Unit, 54-bed unit at Kingsway Hospital and the Derwent Unit, a 54-bed unit at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital site, which both opened earlier this parts of the project involve Bluebell Ward at Walton Hospital in Chesterfield for older adults with acute mental health needs, which opened on 7 January 2025, the Radbourne Unit, at the Royal Derby Hospital and Audrey House, an enhanced care unit for female patients at Kingsway in Derby.
Malay Mail
22-07-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Child from Johor succumbs to injuries after near-drowning at Melaka apartment pool, says state exco
MELAKA, July 22 — The seven-year-old boy who was being treated at Melaka Hospital after he nearly drowned in a swimming pool at an apartment in Taman Kota Laksamana on Sunday died this morning. State Health, Human Resources and Unity Committee chairman Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem said the student from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Rinting 3, Johor, was confirmed dead by the hospital director at about 11 am. 'The cause of death was loss of brain function. The victim had been on a ventilator, and it was supposed to be removed today to see if he could breathe on his own, but his heart stopped before that,' he told reporters outside the Melaka State Legislative Assembly in Seri Negeri here today. Ngwe said the child's remains were claimed by his next of kin at 12.05 pm today for burial in Johor. Earlier, the media reported that the child, who was from Masai, Johor, had nearly drowned while swimming in the apartment's pool at about 9.30am on Sunday. The unconscious victim was taken to Melaka Hospital and admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for treatment. Preliminary police investigations revealed that the boy had gone to the swimming pool with his family. His family later noticed he was not in the pool. They then searched the area around the swimming pool and discovered that several members of the public had already pulled him out before he was taken to Melaka Hospital. — Bernama
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Swimmers' take on Channel relay for Oxford children's unit
A team of six swimmers, including doctors and charity staff, are gearing up for an English Channel swim relay to raise money for a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).The Oxford Orcas hope to raise £30,000 for specialist equipment for the John Radcliffe Hospital unit, which cares for 1,000 critically ill children each swimmers have been training through the winter in local lakes and plan to complete the challenge next member Sarah Vaccari, of Oxford Hospitals Charity, is supporting the cause after the ward helped her daughter who was born with a congenital heart condition. The team described the upcoming 21-mile (34 km) Channel swim as "notoriously tough, with strong tides".They will be swimming in the dark, not using wetsuits and "dodging jellyfish".Consultant Dr Michael Carter has done the challenge before and described it as "one of the most amazing experiences of my life".He said, the first time, he had swum close to killer whales, which inspired their team logo design. Mrs Vaccari, who is taking part in the challenge for the first time, said she would "always remember" the care she had received."My daughter is now a strapping 18-year-old, but she was diagnosed as a baby with congenital heart condition and needed open heart surgery," she said."When you have a major operation like that... your child will spend time in paediatric intensive care, so I remember that, it's never left me."She said, through her job, she had met many families who had been through the unit."You get to know them well when you work in a charity like ours, so that's my motivation and I know it's the motivation for the rest of the team as well."Dr Carter said the raised funds would buy better equipment and compassionate leadership training for nurses on the unit who "are really exposed to the trauma of providing difficult care to really in difficult circumstances".The group has so far raised more than two-thirds of its target. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
