Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)
The Cardiovascular Intensive Care (CVICU) at Children’s of Alabama is a 20-bed inpatient unit that specializes in care of children with congenital and acquired heart conditions. Located on the 4th floor of the Benjamin Russell building, the unit is strategically located to allow for a seamless patient transition between the CV Operating Room, CV Pre and Post Anesthesia Recovery Unit, CV Cath Lab/Electrophysiology Lab, and nearby UAB RNICU.
Our multidisciplinary team is comprised of various specialized team members who all work together to provide the best care for our patients. Team members include cardiologists, pediatric intensivists, surgeons, advanced practice providers, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, support staff, and various other members of the interdisciplinary team. These team members focus on research and quality initiatives that help lead to improved patient outcomes.
Team members regularly help manage complex patients and devices including but not limited to various forms of dialysis, ventricular assist devices, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Procedures are regularly performed at the bedside within the CVICU.
We understand that children requiring cardiac critical care can be a highly stressful time for both patients and their families. Rooms are specially designed to accommodate family involvement while ensuring world-class ICU-level care is maintained. We are committed to providing our patients with the best care possible from our expert team of pediatric subspecialists.
Highlights of the CVICU
Medical team that includes:
- 9 Board Certified Physicians specializing in pediatric cardiac critical care, including a CV-trained neonatologist
- One year fellowship opportunities in pediatric cardiac critical care
- 11 nurse practitioners with specialized cardiac training
- 20 private rooms with 4 dedicated CV-ECMO suites all equipped with full amenities for rooming in of family
- Dedicated CV satellite lab and blood bank adjacent to CVICU
- Centralized telemetry specialists located within unit
- CV Operating Rooms, CV Pre and Post Anesthesia Recovery Unit, Cath/EP labs all located on same level
Research
- Busy Clinical and Translational Research Program
- 5 clinical trials currently underway
- Robust Pediatric Cardiac Bio-Repository
- Samples banked from majority of surgical patients for future research
- Discovery of new therapies and diagnostic tools
- Participation in Institutional and Multi-center Collaborative efforts
Safety and Quality
- Strong Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement (QI) team has led to improved clinical outcomes and policy changes
- Highlights of Accomplishments in last 2 years
- Presentations at scientific conferences
- Publications in peer review journals
- 50% reduction in time on ventilator
- 51% decrease in peri-operative blood product exposure
- 89% decreased exposure to IV Potassium boluses
- 6 day decrease in length of stay utilizing comprehensive feeding protocol
- 76% decrease in blood sampling on ECMO
- PC4 - Participation in multi-institutional QI consortium
