Pediatric intensive care unit follow-up: Thinking before acting

Objective

It is now well established that post-intensive care syndrome is frequent in critically ill children after discharge from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Nevertheless, post-intensive care follow-up is highly heterogenous worldwide and is not considered routine care in many countries. The purpose of this viewpoint was to report the reflections of the French PICU society working group on how to implement post-PICU follow-up.

Methods

A working group was set up within the Groupe Francophone de Reanimation et d’Urgences Pédiatriques (GFRUP) to provide conceptual and practical guidance for developing post-PICU follow-up. The working group included psychologists, PICU physicians, physiotherapists, and nurses, from different French PICUs. Five virtual meetings have been held.

Results

First, we described in this work the objectives of the follow-up program and the population to be targeted. We also provided a framework to implement post-PICU follow-up in clinical practice. Finally, we detailed the potential obstacles and challenges to consider.

Conclusion

Although implementing a post-PICU follow-up program is a challenge, the benefits could be significant for both patient and relatives, as well as for the health care professionals involved.