Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
The mission of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at the Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is to provide state-of-the-art intensive care in an environment supportive of the patient and family.
CICU specialists are fully prepared to care for children in the most complicated and serious situations. This expert team – made up of highly skilled nurses, respiratory therapists and physicians trained in both pediatric cardiology and pediatric intensive care – utilizes the most sophisticated therapies available to treat pediatric heart conditions, including heart monitors, mechanical ventilation, inhaled nitric oxide, cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and ventricular assist devices. CICU physicians work closely with cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiac interventionalists, and electrophysiologists to provide highly-sophisticated care.
The cardiac-focused staff of the pioneering CICU includes:
- Cardiologists
- Intensive Care Specialists
- Surgeons
- Anesthesiologists
- Nurses
- Respiratory Therapists
- Pharmacologists
- Dieticians
- Child Life Specialists
Providing Family Comfort
The CICU supports the mission of Cincinnati Children’s to provide family-centered care. We recognize the family as the consistent participant in their child’s care and encourage and support family involvement. Families are welcomed and encouraged to attend daily rounds on their child. We value feedback from families, during and after hospitalization, to help us monitor and improve our mission.
The 15-bed CICU, which will soon to expand to 19 beds, offers family privacy with glass doorways – that reduce stress and noise – while still providing easy accessibility for attending staff. Parents are allowed to stay with their child in the CICU 24 hours a day with fold-out beds in each room.
A limited number of nearby sleeping rooms are also available, as well as showers and laundry facilities. Family lounge areas are also available.
Physicians interested in making a referral should contact an attending physician in the CICU by calling the Physician Priority Link (513-636-4010) or the CICU directly (513-636-4007) or by visiting our referral information page.
