Infectious Diseases in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Many children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are admitted with serious infections. If they do not have serious infections prior to admission, there is also a high chance of them acquiring nosocomial infection once admitted. Many syndromes may lead to serious infection and the need for high dependency or intensive care. In addition, the numbers of children who are severely immunocompromised and surviving for extended periods are increasing. Any delay in therapy may produce more severe infection in an immunocompetent patient. As the influence of genetic factors in infectious disease becomes evident and new therapies and new modes of therapy have been introduced, there is the need to draw together these topics into one text. Infectious Diseases in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit specifically examines infectious disease aspects of pediatric intensive care, from the reasons for admission, the risks of nosocomial infection, infection control, modes of therapy and outcomes.

Simon Nadel is on the advisory board of Intensive Care Medicine and is the Clinical Director of St Mary's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, London, UK.