Pediatric Intensive Care

When your infant, child or teen is critically ill or injured, UNM Children's Hospital offers New Mexico's only 24/7 pediatric intensive care unit (ICU). Our center is designed so you can stay with your child throughout their course of care.

As the state's only Level I Trauma Center, we are equipped with the most advanced ICU diagnostic and treatment technology. Our board-certified pediatric ICU doctors and critical care nurses provide expert care and age-appropriate emotional support.

Advanced Critical Care Technology

UNM Children's ICU team will care for your child using the latest ICU technology, including:

  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A machine temporarily does the work of the heart and lungs. This lifesaving technology is available for pediatric patients at UNM Children's.
  • Continuous veno-venous hemofiltration: This equipment keeps your child's kidneys working until function returns or they can begin dialysis.
  • High-frequency ventilation: Breathing support for respiratory emergencies.
  • Inhaled nitric oxide therapy: Nitric oxide and oxygen flow through a mask into your child's lungs to increase blood oxygen levels.
  • Intracranial pressure monitoring: This technology measures swelling inside the skull after a brain injury.

Conditions We Treat

Your child may need intensive care after:

  • Burns
  • Diabetic-related complications
  • Severe breathing problems
  • Shock
  • Serious infections
  • Surgery, including congenital heart disease repair
  • Traumatic injuries including brain injuries
  • Organ failure