Pediatric ICU Course

Lesson 1 • Pediatric Anatomy and Physiology Overview

Covers developmental differences in organ systems from neonates to adolescents. Provides the physiologic baseline required for all subsequent PICU assessment skills.

Lesson 2 • Ethical and Legal Principles in Pediatric Care

Addresses consent, assent, and surrogate decision-making unique to pediatric patients. Grounds clinical practice in ethical frameworks applied throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • PICU Environment and Team Roles

Describes PICU unit structure, staffing models, and interprofessional roles. Orients learners to the collaborative environment central to safe critical care delivery.

Lesson 1 • Pediatric Endotracheal Intubation

Covers equipment selection, rapid sequence intubation drugs, and laryngoscopy technique. Builds on basic airway skills to achieve definitive airway control.

Lesson 2 • Mechanical Ventilation Basics

Introduces ventilator modes, initial settings, and lung-protective strategies for children. Bridges airway management to the respiratory support content in Chapter 3.

Lesson 3 • Basic Airway Maneuvers and Adjuncts

Teaches positioning, suctioning, and adjunct device use for airway patency. Forms the procedural foundation before advanced airway techniques are introduced.

Lesson 4 • Difficult and Failed Airway Management

Presents algorithms for predicted and unanticipated difficult airways in children. Prepares learners to escalate safely when standard intubation fails.

Lesson 1 • Pediatric ARDS Management

Applies the pediatric ARDS definition and evidence-based ventilation strategies. Integrates lung-protective ventilation from Chapter 2 into a complex disease context.

Lesson 2 • Pathophysiology of Pediatric Respiratory Failure

Explains hypoxemic, hypercapnic, and mixed respiratory failure mechanisms in children. Provides the physiologic rationale for all respiratory interventions in this chapter.

Lesson 3 • Non-Invasive Respiratory Support

Covers high-flow nasal cannula, CPAP, and BiPAP indications and setup for children. Positions non-invasive options as first-line before escalation to intubation.

Lesson 4 • Ventilator Liberation and Extubation

Teaches spontaneous breathing trial protocols and safe extubation criteria for children. Completes the respiratory support continuum from intubation to successful liberation.

Lesson 1 • Pediatric Cardiac Arrest and CPR

Applies current resuscitation guidelines to in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest scenarios. Synthesizes airway, ventilation, and circulatory skills into coordinated resuscitation.

Lesson 2 • Fluid Resuscitation Strategies

Presents evidence-based fluid bolus dosing, fluid type selection, and reassessment endpoints. Builds on hemodynamic monitoring skills to guide safe resuscitation decisions.

Lesson 3 • Recognizing and Classifying Shock

Differentiates distributive, hypovolemic, cardiogenic, and obstructive shock in children. Applies assessment skills from Chapter 1 to time-sensitive shock recognition.

Lesson 4 • Vasoactive Drug Therapy

Covers vasopressor and inotrope selection, dosing, and titration for pediatric shock states. Integrates hemodynamic monitoring data to guide pharmacologic support decisions.

Lesson 1 • Status Epilepticus Management

Presents a stepwise pharmacologic protocol for convulsive and non-convulsive status epilepticus. Builds on neurological assessment to guide timely, escalating anticonvulsant therapy.

Lesson 2 • Brain Death Determination in Children

Explains the clinical criteria, ancillary testing, and documentation for pediatric brain death. Prepares learners for the ethical and procedural responsibilities of determination.

Lesson 3 • Elevated Intracranial Pressure

Covers ICP monitoring, Monro-Kellie doctrine, and tiered neuroprotective interventions. Connects hemodynamic management from Chapter 4 to cerebral perfusion pressure targets.

Lesson 4 • Neurological Assessment in Critical Illness

Teaches structured neurological examination adapted for critically ill children. Extends assessment frameworks from Chapter 1 to the neurologically compromised patient.

Lesson 1 • Immune Dysregulation Syndromes

Covers hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, MIS-C, and cytokine storm in critically ill children. Extends sepsis management to hyperinflammatory conditions requiring targeted immunotherapy.

Lesson 2 • Antimicrobial Therapy and Stewardship

Covers empiric antibiotic selection, de-escalation, and pharmacokinetic dosing in children. Integrates stewardship principles to balance effective treatment with resistance prevention.

Lesson 3 • Specific Infectious Emergencies

Manages meningitis, necrotizing fasciitis, and viral hemorrhagic presentations in the PICU. Applies antimicrobial and supportive care skills to high-acuity infectious scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Source Control and Infection Prevention

Addresses surgical and procedural source control alongside PICU-acquired infection prevention. Reinforces the importance of bundle compliance in reducing nosocomial infections.

Lesson 1 • Acute Kidney Injury in Children

Defines AKI staging, common etiologies, and conservative management in the PICU. Connects fluid management from Chapter 4 to renal-protective strategies.

Lesson 2 • Electrolyte and Acid-Base Disorders

Covers diagnosis and correction of sodium, potassium, calcium, and glucose abnormalities. Provides the metabolic framework underlying many PICU disease presentations.

Lesson 3 • Renal Replacement Therapy Modalities

Compares continuous, intermittent, and peritoneal dialysis options for critically ill children. Builds on AKI management to guide modality selection and circuit management.

Lesson 4 • Adrenal and Thyroid Emergencies

Addresses adrenal insufficiency, thyroid storm, and myxedema coma in critically ill children. Extends endocrine knowledge to life-threatening hormonal crises requiring urgent intervention.

Lesson 1 • Vascular Access in Critically Ill Children

Covers central venous, arterial, and intraosseous access techniques for the PICU. Builds on hemodynamic monitoring from Chapter 4 with hands-on procedural competency.

Lesson 2 • Lumbar Puncture and Neurological Procedures

Covers safe lumbar puncture technique and CSF interpretation in critically ill children. Connects neurological assessment from Chapter 5 to diagnostic procedural skills.

Lesson 3 • Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the PICU

Introduces POCUS applications for cardiac, pulmonary, and abdominal assessment in children. Integrates real-time imaging into clinical decision-making across multiple organ systems.

Lesson 4 • Thoracic Procedures

Teaches chest tube insertion, thoracentesis, and pericardiocentesis for pediatric emergencies. Applies respiratory and cardiovascular knowledge to procedural intervention in the chest.