The Questionnaire of Current Situation in Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care in Türkiye

OBJECTIVE
For improving the results in pediatric cardiac intensive care patients, it is important to determine the personnel, organisation and equipment status that need to be improved. This study aims to evaluate the current status in the units where pediatric cardiac intensive care patients are admitted in Türkiye.

METHOD
The study was carried out by an online questionnaire form delivered to the chief physicians of intensive care units. The number of patients admitted in the intensive care unit, scope of the surgeries; the number and specialities of physicians and staff who are involved, their roles in patient care, and the use of monitorisation methods were defined. Descriptive statics were applied on the results.

RESULTS
The units are most commonly in educational institutions and there is a high rate of subspecialty training clinics. The majority of the units are medical and surgical mixed (76%) units and pediatric-only (96%). Pediatric intensive care specialists are most often stated as the primary responsible physician (48%). Average number of surgeries and annual number of admitted patients are variable among the institutions. Interventional procedures are performed (92%) and cardiac mechanical support systems are used (84%) in great majority of the institutions.

CONCLUSION
There is great heterogeneity in patient volumes, personnel status and organisation styles of the units in which pediatric cardiac intensive care patients are admitted. In the future, all the patients should be cared for in pediatric-only units and physicians specialized in Pediatric Intensive Care must invariably take place in the teams caring for these patients.