Overview
The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Al Nas Hospital is a specialized service dedicated to the care of critically ill infants, children, and adolescents, with a strong focus on congenital and acquired cardiac conditions. The unit provides 24/7 advanced pediatric cardiac intensive care, supported by state-of-the-art monitoring and life-support systems to ensure precise, continuous assessment and timely intervention. Our multidisciplinary team manages complex pre- and postoperative congenital heart cases, as well as patients recovering from cardiac catheterization procedures, delivering coordinated, high-level care that prioritizes safety, recovery, and long-term outcomes.
Scope of the Unit
Our unit delivers comprehensive, family-centered care for patients with complex congenital cardiac physiology, including single-ventricle and shunt-dependent circulation. Through close multidisciplinary collaboration, we focus on optimizing cardiac output and systemic perfusion, preventing and managing low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS), and providing advanced respiratory, renal, and multi-organ support to ensure safe stabilization, recovery, and long-term outcomes.
Specialized Procedures and Functions:
Invasive and non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring (arterial line, CVP, NIRS, lactate)
Immediate postoperative care after congenital cardiac surgery
Management of shunt-dependent lesions (BT shunt, PDA-dependent CHD)
Care of single-ventricle physiology ( Glenn, Fontan)
Cardiac-tailored mechanical ventilation strategies
Pulmonary hypertension monitoring and crisis management
Inotropic and vasoactive drug support
Temporary pacing and arrhythmia management
Renal support including peritoneal dialysis and CRRT
Sepsis recognition and management in cardiac patients
Post–cardiac catheterization intensive monitoring
Rapid response for deteriorating cardiac patients
What We Manage
At Al Nas Hospital’s Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PICU), we provide specialized, round-the-clock care for critically ill children with complex congenital and acquired heart conditions, including:
- Congenital heart disease (cyanotic and acyanotic)
- Postoperative congenital cardiac surgery patients
- Post–cardiac catheterization complications
- Low cardiac output syndrome
- Pulmonary hypertension crises
- Acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock
- Complex arrhythmias and conduction abnormalities
- Cardiac-related acute kidney injury
- Sepsis in children with underlying heart disease
- Emergency surgical cases in children with CHD
