Cardiac Intensive Care Program
A central component of the Heart Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) provides comprehensive care for complex medical and surgical patients, from newborn to young adult. The CICU is the only dedicated pediatric cardiac intensive care unit in a five-state region.
The high volume of specialized and complex cases cared for at The Heart Center created a demand for a dedicated CICU within this major pediatric medical center. This complex care includes:
- Neonatal diagnosis and stabilization
- Postoperative surgical care
- Care following complex catheter interventions
- Management of complex arrhythmias
- Care of pre- and postoperative cardiac transplant patients
A cardiac-focused team including cardiologists, intensivists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacologists, dieticians and child life specialists staffs the CICU. Faculty members Thomas J. Kulik, MD, Catherine Dent, MD, and Angela Lorts, MD, are experts in pediatric cardiology and pediatric intensive care. This facility can provide the highest complexity of therapy including nitric oxide, cardiac ECMO and ventricular assist devices, and is also central to many clinical research projects taking place in the Heart Center.
