PICU vs. NICU: What's the Difference?
By Admin · Content Admin
PICU vs NICU explained: learn the key differences, who each unit cares for, common treatments, monitoring, and specialized pediatric and newborn care at Reliance Hospital.
PICU vs. NICU: What's the Difference?
The main difference between PICU vs NICU is the age group of patients. PICU nurses are specialised for the round-the-clock monitoring of the age group of infants to teenagers, and a wide range of ages is covered in this. Whereas NICU nurses focus exclusively on newborn infants, the children born with any complications or those born prematurely.
The PICU age range is up to 18 years old, and in contrast to this, in the NICU newborns are taken care of.
NICU and PICU, are types of intensive care units (ICU). As we have discussed, both of them have differences, but the main goal of them is taking care of the patients.
What is PICU?
In PICU round-the-clock monitoring is done of the patients, those ages from infants to teenagers. They need the proper medical care due to any injury, any medical condition or illness, etc. In this the patients may suffer from the conditions discussed below:
Insufficient supply of oxygen to the lungs
Double pneumonia or infection inside the body
Any inner brain or head injury
Serious conditions after birth
Any neurological disorders, seizures or serious brain injuries.
Diabetic ketoacidosis issues
Severe anaemia disorders in hematological disorders
Kidney failure
Problems in bowel obstruction and pancreatitis or any other gastrological issues.
Oncological emergencies are also included in it.
What is the job of a nurse in a PICU?
Duties of the nurses in the PICU are a responsibility more than a job, as you step into the PICU; each and every moment is counted. The duties include comprehensive documentation as well as challenging assessments. These nurses handle tasks such as the following:
These nurses titrate the medicines according to the person's need and weight.
They are trained to operate the advance medical equipments such as ventilators, pressure monitors, etc.
Specialised in the medical procedures such as test tube insertion, tracheostomy etc.
They participate with the full motivation in paediatric resuscitation.
According to the patients' needs, they specialise in the plans.
They completely take care of the wounds.
Fully allowed to collaborate with the team of specialists of the different fields, physicians and other specialised nurses.
What is NICU?
In the NICU newborns are admitted for special care, from premature infants born. These include babies from 22 weeks' gestation to full-term babies up to 28 days old, but it mostly depends upon facility policies. Here are some common conditions treated in the NICU:
Premature babies born before 37 weeks' gestation
Issues in respiration
Having Jaundice
Necrotizing enterocolitis
Intraventricular hemorrhage
Patent ductus arteriosus
What Does a NICU Nurse Do?
It is rewarding working in the NICU, but it is a challenging role that requires specialised skills. Some of the typical responsibilities in this role include:
In this specialised team they provide emergency procedures to the newborns if required. Airway pressure devices, ventilators, catheters, etc. are the modern machinery used in it.
Modern technology is used for keeping an eye on the vital signs.
PICU vs. NICU: What to Choose?
The nurses mainly decide what to do depending on their interest; if they prefer to work with children, they choose PICU, and if they want to work with newborns, they choose NICU. In islamabad both the facilities are present in Reliance Hospital.
Key Advantages of PICU
There is a wide range of paediatric patients from infants to teenagers.
Patients included are those who require surgical, cardiac, assistance etc. In the Reliance Hospital, the staff are allowed to get assistance from the senior staff also.
The team also coordinates with the respiratory therapist, social workers and the other staff of the multidisciplinary team.
Key Advantages of NICU
These are equipped with advanced medical devices and technology designed for the patients who demand special care, such as use of a ventilator or pressure-controlling monitor.
These nurses play a vital role in the monitoring of newborns' first breath onwards till they are admitted to the hospital.
In the NICU, taking care of infants is over an extended period, and they build strong bonds with both the babies and their families over an extended period.
Why should we choose Reliance Hospital for PICU and NICU in Islamabad?
The people living in Islamabad choose Reliance Hospital because this hospital has a PICU and NICU combined with a proper 24/7 emergency, ready to deal with any kind of situation. They are always committed to handling the critical issues of infants as well as childhood problems.
Reliance Hospital Islamabad has an upgraded, highly controlled environment to support the patients. We have specialised staff to treat premature and high-risk newborns who require immediate medical intervention after birth.
PICU and NICU of Reliance Hospital Islamabad are occupied with the advanced modern technology, such as ventilator , incubator pressure monitoring and the specialists to operate these machines.
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