PICU Nursing resource consumption by pediatric heart transplant recipients

Knowledge of patterns of nursing care requirements in pediatric heart transplant patients can assist in strategic planning of constrained intensive care resources. This study describes PICU nursing care provided to 15 heart transplant recipients and to 48 cardiovascular surgery patients at two tertiary care children's hospitals. Transplant recipients consumed more nursing care per day, including the first postoperative day, across a longer length of PICU stay than cardiovascular surgery patients. The care differences were evident in specific nursing care indicators: level of cardiovascular assessment, number of medications, frequency of vital signs, number of IV lines, frequency of tube care, and protective isolation. This information is useful in planning and allocation of valuable resources for the implementation of pediatric cardiac transplantation.