At the Herma Heart Institute, we understand the fears and challenges facing families like yours. We are here to answer all your questions and support you in every step of your heart journey. Our team provides expert heart care that fits what your child needs. We care for patients of all ages and stages — from before birth and into adulthood.
What Is the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit?
The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Children's Wisconsin is a special 24-bed unit for patients with heart conditions. It is part of our 68-bed Al McGuire Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Newborns, children, adolescents and adults are admitted to the CICU when critical support is needed for their heart condition. These may include
What To Expect With the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
After surgery, your child will spend time in the CICU. During the first several hours, your child will likely be drowsy from the anesthesia and medications given to lessen anxiety and pain. Over time, your child will become more alert.
While your child is in the CICU, providers may use the following equipment:
Ventilator: This machine helps your child breathe.
Intravenous (IV) catheters: These small, plastic tubes are inserted into blood vessels to provide fluids and medicine.
Pacer wires: These small wires are connected to your child’s heart through the chest to allow use of a temporary pacemaker.
Arterial line: This is a special IV placed in the wrist or other area of the body where a pulse can be felt. It measures blood pressure.
Nasogastric (NG) tube: This small, flexible tube keeps the stomach drained of acid and gas bubbles that could build up during surgery.
Urinary catheter: This small, flexible tube drains urine out of the bladder. It also measures how much urine your child is making. This helps doctors know how well the heart is working.
Chest tube: This drainage tube keeps the chest free of blood that may build up after surgery.
Heart monitor: This machine keeps track of your child’s heart rhythm, heart rate, arterial blood pressure and other important information.
Your child might need other support equipment while in the CICU or afterward. They will be kept as comfortable as possible with medications that relieve pain and anxiety. The staff will also ask for your input on how best to comfort your child.
Why Choose the Herma Heart Institute for its Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Outstanding outcomes: If your child needs surgery, you’ll have access to world-class heart surgeons. The Herma Heart Institute has some of the best results for even the most complex types of heart disease.
Board-certified critical care and cardiac specialists: The CICU is staffed by highly experienced, board-certified intensive care specialists. They are experts in cardiology, cardiac intensive care and anesthesiology. Their research has led to improved outcomes, especially in the areas of postsurgical care, protecting brain and kidney function. Families find comfort knowing that the team provides around-the-clock care.
Seamless, comprehensive care: To ensure our entire CICU team is fully prepared for newborns with heart defects, we work with the Froedtert Hospital Birth Center staff. Keeping everyone fully informed, including family, means all team members are working together to provide the best possible care for your child.
Highly sophisticated mechanical support technology: As a hospital where families come to from all over the world for pediatric heart care, our CICU team offers all mechanical assist devices. We are experts in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), ventricular assist devices (VADs) and other technology. These devices allow the heart and lungs to "rest" while doctors treat your child's condition. They can also support your child as they wait for a heart transplant.
Unique monitoring approach boosts outcomes: We use state-of-the-art near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) to monitor tissue oxygen levels. This helps us detect and treat problems faster than standard monitoring.
Focused on families: To provide the best care, CICU staff encourage loved ones to participate in bedside discussions about their child's care. This helps you understand and contribute to care planning. Child life specialists are on hand to support families, especially siblings and older patients.
