Paediatric Intensive Care Unit
The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is a special ward for children and young people who are seriously ill or recovering from major surgery. Our services include:
- Specialist care for seriously ill, injured, or ventilated children.
- Specialist care for children after complex surgical procedures including heart, brain, kidney and liver transplantation, intestinal and ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery.
- Specialist care for high dependency patients unsuitable for a ward due to physiological instability, or dependence on specialist technology.
- Extra-corporeal life support (ECLS) including Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD).
Who can access this service?
New patients
Referrals are accepted up to 16 years of age (prior to 16th birthday).
Existing patients with complex care needs
Referrals are accepted up to their 18th birthday (patients are usually transitioned to adult services by this time).
Catchment area
This service is available to children living in Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Do I need a referral?
You will need a formal referral to access this service.
How do I get a referral?
Referrals are accepted from:
- paediatricians
- paediatric surgeons
- emergency physicians
- adult intensivists.
Information for health professionals
The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is a special ward for children and young people who are seriously ill or recovering from major surgery. Our services include:
- Life support for critically ill children including Extra Corporeal Life Support (ECLS).
- Post-operative care for children undergoing cardiac surgery.
- Intensive care for children after complex surgical procedures including cardiac, neurosurgery, renal and liver transplantation, gastrointestinal, ENT, burns and general surgery.
- Intensive care for the whole range of paediatric critical illness – including infectious diseases, neurology, oncology, gastrointestinal, metabolic disease etc.
- Monitoring and care for high dependency children unsuitable for the ward due to physiological instability or dependence on specialist technology.
- Support for regional children’s intensive care services including education, debriefing, telehealth services and review services such as clinical audit and outcome monitoring.
- Counselling and guidance is available for patients, families and carers.
Careers in Paediatric Intensive Care
The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Queensland Children’s Hospital is one of the largest units in Australia and New Zealand with 36 bed spaces and 2000 admissions annually. To find out more about career opportunities with us visit our Careers in Paediatric Intensive Care page.
Referral instructions
Referral of critically ill children is usually via Children’s Health Queensland.
Our team
Director
Dr Christian Stocker MBBS, MD, FMH (CH), FCICM
Deputy Directors
Dr Adrian Mattke MBBS, MD, FRACP, FCICM
Dr Neeta Rampersad BMed, FRACP, FCICM
Senior Medical Officers
Dr Angela Aramburo MB ChB, MS, PhD, FRCPCH
Dr Thomas Boakye MB ChB, Dip Paed, FRACP, FCICM
Dr Arjun Chavan MBBS, DCh, MD, MRCPCH, CCT (UK), FCICM
Assoc. Prof Mark Coulthard MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FCICM
Dr Tavey Dorofaeff MB ChB, FRACP, FJFICM, FCICM
Dr Paul Holmes MBChB, BSc, MRCPCH, FCICM
Dr Rahul Joshi MBBS, DNB (Paed), DCH, FCICM, FRACP
Dr Paula Lister MBBCh PhD MRCP FRCPCH FFICM FCICM
Dr Kevin McCaffery MB ChB, MRCP, FCICM
Assoc. Prof Julie McEniery MBBS, FRACP, FCICM, MPH
Dr Ronan McKenna MB, ChB, FCICM
Dr Kevin Plumpton MB ChB, FRACP, FCICM
Dr Peter Prager MBBS, FRACP, FCICM
Dr Sarfaraz Rahiman MBBS, MD (Paed), DNB (Paed), MRCPCH, FCICM
Dr Sainath Raman MBBS, MRCPCH, PhD, FCICM
Dr Sebastian Rimpau MBBS, FCICM
Dr Phil Sargent MBBS, BMed Sci, FRACP FCICM
Assoc. Prof Luregn Schlapbach MBBS, MD, FMH (CH), FCICM
Dr Anthony Slater BMedSc, MBBS, FRACP, FCICM
Dr Shona Mair MBBS, BSc, MPH, FRACP, FCICM
Dr Michaela Waak MD, FCICM, FRACP, FRACP
Dr Nick Pigott MBBS, FRCPI, FRCPCH, FRACP, FCICM
This service is available at
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (4a)
Queensland Children’s Hospital
Level 4
501 Stanley Street
South Brisbane
QLD 4101
View map
Contact details
t: 07 3068 1400 | 07 3068 1111 (hospital switchboard)
Operating hours
The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We are a locked unit, to enter please see our reception staff or use the intercom beside the entry doors.
Visiting hours
Parents and carers can visit any time (day or night). Other visitors are welcome between 10am and noon, and 2pm and 9pm with parent/carer approval. For patient safety we limit beside visitors to two at a time.
Related services
Resources
Assistance for families
Children’s Advice and Transport Coordination Hub (CATCH)
Extracorporeal Life Support fact sheet
Welcome to PICU fact sheet