A national audit has found that two Children's Health Ireland (CHI) paediatric critical care units, at Temple Street and Crumlin, are under strain.
The fourth report from the National Office of Clinical Audit covers 2023 and found high bed occupancy rates above 95%, staffing challenges and the increasing need for specialised paediatric critical care services.
Associate Professor Martina Healy, who is Clinical Lead for the Irish Paediatric Clinical Care Audit, said that while the paediatric CCUs deliver high-quality, life-saving care, the system is under strain.
Ireland must continue to invest in staffing and develop regional paediatric high dependency units to ensure safe and sustainable services, she said.
The fourth national audit found 68% of admissions were unplanned, with a notable proportion of children transferred from other hospitals.
Admissions to adult intensive care units or children doubled in 2023, with 148 cases.
Respiratory conditions accounted for the largest proportion of admissions (34%) with a notable increase due to the respiratory syncytial virus, particularly among infants.
The overall survival rate for children in paediatric critical care units was 97%.
The report recommends the expansion of the Irish Paediatric Acute Transport Service (IPATS) to 24/7 coverage and the development of a national paediatric respiratory extracorporeal life support (ECLS) programme.
ECLS is a treatment that uses an artificial system to support the body when a person's own heart and or lungs are too sick to do the job.
It can support the body for a long period of time, days to weeks, to allow the heart and/or lungs time to rest and the time needed to heal.
