| Popis: |
There has in recent years been an increased focus, on the part of both professional bodies and the media, on the needs of critically ill children in the UK. The British Paediatric Association (BPA) survey published in 1993 identified a lack of paediatric intensive care beds in the UK and recommended that all critically ill children should be cared for in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs). The publication of Paediatric Intensive Care: A Framework for the Future, and its companion publication A Bridge to the Future, by the National Health Service (NHS) Executive (1997) reiterated these recommendations, although the impact of this has yet to be evaluated. The recommendations are based upon evidence from Australia and the USA demonstrating that critically ill children have an improved outcome if cared for in tertiary centres. A tertiary centre has been defined as a regional children’s hospital with a dedicated PICU fulfilling set criteria of standards for medical staff, nursing staff and the facilities available (Pollack et al., 1991). |
