At UAB and Children's of Alabama, the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care team is a highly specialized team dedicated to providing comprehensive care for children with complex cardiac conditions. Our
multidisciplinary team includes cardiovascular intensivists, pediatric cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, highly specialized nurses, respiratory therapists, and nurse practitioners, all working together to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients.
Care and Procedures
Our team, at a dedicated 20-bed Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and a 16-bed mixed acuity unit, adheres to the highest standards of care. Children's of Alabama has been ranked among the nation’s best hospitals and the best hospital for pediatric care in Alabama by U.S. News & World Report for many consecutive years. We are responsible for the preoperative and postoperative care of patients who undergo a wide range of surgeries, including congenital heart defect repairs, heart transplants, and other complex cardiac procedures. Our focus to quality and safety is evident in our continuous efforts to improve patient outcomes and reduce complications. Click here to check our public reporting from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).
The CVICU team manages more than 600 yearly admissions and provides perioperative care for about 450 surgical cases annually, with more than 250-300 of those being index cases. We perform about 10 heart transplants every year, demonstrating our commitment to offering life-saving interventions to critically ill children. Moreover, our team performs more than 800 yearly cardiac catheterization procedures, including diagnostic and interventional procedures, and electrophysiological studies.
In addition to perioperative care, our unit is equipped to provide advanced mechanical circulatory support using Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs). ECMO is used for short-term support in cases of severe cardiac failure refractory to conventional medical therapies, while VADs can provide longer-term support as a bridge to heart transplantation or recovery. These technologies are crucial in managing critically ill children with complex cardiac conditions, ensuring they receive the best possible care.
We also leverage artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to enhance patient care. One such tool is Etiometry's T3 Data Aggregation & Visualization Software, which captures and visualizes patients' physiologic data, providing a platform to track vital patient data on a single, easy-to-manipulate monitoring system viewable on standard web browsers in the hospital. This technology helps predict patient deterioration and improve care by providing actionable insights to clinicians in real-time.
Research and Quality Improvement (QI) Projects
Research and Quality Improvement projects play a pivotal role in advancing patient care and developing practice protocols in our CVICU. Our team is actively involved in clinical research aimed at understanding and treating pediatric cardiac conditions more effectively. Through participation in multicenter studies and internal QI initiatives, we continuously seek to improve clinical outcomes, optimize treatment protocols and implement evidence-based practices.
The CVICU QI projects focus on areas such as reducing postoperative complications, minimizing infection rates, and enhancing recovery times, and by analyzing data and outcomes, we identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to elevate the standard of care provided to our patients. Our QI team was invited to speak at multiple national conferences to present the results of our studies and interventions, reinforcing our commitment to driving meaningful improvements in pediatric cardiac care and highlighting the impact of our research in shaping best practices within the field.
The CVICU team also has a dedicated research coordinator and a biostatistics team. Their expertise ensures that our research efforts are well-coordinated, data-driven, and statistically sound, leading to more effective and impactful improvements in patient care. We have produced more than 80 publications over the past few years, with many active projects that are still in progress.
Teaching and Training
Our cardiac critical care team provides comprehensive training for pediatric cardiology, pediatric critical care, neonatology and pediatric anesthesia fellows rotating through the unit, ensuring they gain extensive hands-on experience and exposure to a wide range of cardiac conditions and advanced treatments. Additionally, we offer a dedicated 1-year cardiac critical care fellowship, designed to develop specialized skills and knowledge in pediatric cardiac critical care. Our faculty members are dedicated to mentoring the next generation of pediatric cardiologists and intensivists, ensuring that they are well-prepared to provide exceptional care for their patients.
http://www.childrensal.org/cardiovascular-intensive-care-unit-cvicu
Contact Us:
Santiago Borasino, MD
Section Director
UAB Pediatric Section of Cardiac Critical Care Medicine / Pediatric Cardiology
CVICU Medical Director, COA
LaTanya Brown
UAB Pediatric Section of Cardiac Critical Care Medicine / Pediatric Cardiology
205-638-2021
labrown@peds.uab.edu
Leslie Rhodes, MD
Fellowship Director, Section of Cardiac Critical Care Medicine / Pediatric Cardiology
205-638-2021
lrhodes@peds.uab.edu
For more information on our one year fellowship opportunities in pediatric cardiac critical care.
http://www.childrensal.org/workfiles/clinical_services/cv/recruitment_letter_2015.pdf
UAB Section of Cardiac Critical Care Medicine / Pediatric Cardiology
1600 7th Avenue South, CPPI Suite 210 Birmingham, AL 35233 Office: 205-638-2021 Fax: 205-638-9056