Pediatric intensive care unit admissions network (PIA)—report of the first results of the nationwide collaborative pediatric intensive care research network in Germany

Abstract Purpose The pediatric intensive care unit admissions (PIA) network was initiated to interconnect pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and establish a research infrastructure for pediatric intensive care in Germany. The primary aim is to collect data on pediatric critical illness to answer clinical and epidemiological research questions. Secondary goals are the implementation of quality indicators to allow benchmarking for German PICUs. Methods PIA is a hospital-based, pediatric intensive care registry. Patients admitted to a PICU with a corrected gestational age of ≥ 28 days and > 41 + 0 weeks are eligible for a basic survey; a more detailed survey is conducted for patients under 18 years with a PICU stay of more than 48 h or for patients who died within 48 h. Results We report on the first results from 8196 patients admitted from 05/2023–12/2024 from 23 PICUs. 65.03% of admissions were non-elective. 2895 (35.32%) children were eligible for the detailed survey. Emergency re-admissions within 24 h of discharge were 0.90%. Children < 5 years of age accounted for 49.44% of all admissions. The leading symptoms for PICU admissions were mainly of respiratory nature (38.41%), with 55.20% of children receiving respiratory support within the first hour of admission. During PICU stay, 68.70% received respiratory support, 38.89% cardiovascular support and 49.53% of children required sedation. The mortality rate was 1.85%. Conclusion The findings presented here and future findings from the PIA network will allow data comparison, disease surveillance and benchmarking and help advance intensive care research and clinical care of critically ill children.

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Journal
Intensive Care Medicine – Paediatric and Neonatal
Published
2025-12-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s44253-025-00103-3
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.35
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article

Pediatric intensive care unit admissions network (PIA)—report of the first results of the nationwide collaborative pediatric intensive care research network in Germany

Victoria Lieftüchter, Ortraud Beringer, Michael S. Urschitz, Jochen Essers et al.
1 citations
Intensive Care Medicine – Paediatric and Neonatal
Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment
1.35
article

Pediatric intensive care unit admissions network (PIA)—report of the first results of the nationwide collaborative pediatric intensive care research network in Germany

Victoria Lieftüchter, Ortraud Beringer, Michael S. Urschitz, Jochen Essers, Martin Olivieri, Markos K. Tomidis Chatzimanouil, Jan Baier, Holger Freymann, Friederike Terpe, K. Anette Fiedler, R. Dubrow, Sebastian Brenner, Nadine Mand, Beatrice Grebe, Patrizia Nitsch‐Felsecker, Uwe Höpner, Aaron S. Hess, Fabian Baertling, Ellen Heimberg, Nora Bruns, Christiaan P. Sentner, Gert Warncke, Christian Spang, Florian Hoffmann, Christian Dohna‐Schwake, Susanne Blomenkamp, Ali Mahamat Moussa, Michael Merker, Richard Biedermann, Axel Hübler, K. Hübner, A. Wessel, M Groffmann, Sarah Irlbeck, Stefanie Hort, Christopher Manuel Meudt, Vera Wentzel, Andreas Wemhöner, Johannes Martin Eisen, Tillman Schubert, Lisette Hayer, Sarah Lampe
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The pediatric intensive care unit admissions (PIA) network was initiated to interconnect pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and establish a research infrastructure for pediatric intensive care in Germany. The primary aim is to collect data on pediatric critical illness to answer clinical and epidemiological research questions. Secondary goals are the implementation of quality indicators to allow benchmarking for German PICUs. Methods PIA is a hospital-based, pediatric intensive care registry. Patients admitted to a PICU with a corrected gestational age of ≥ 28 days and > 41 + 0 weeks are eligible for a basic survey; a more detailed survey is conducted for patients under 18 years with a PICU stay of more than 48 h or for patients who died within 48 h. Results We report on the first results from 8196 patients admitted from 05/2023–12/2024 from 23 PICUs. 65.03% of admissions were non-elective. 2895 (35.32%) children were eligible for the detailed survey. Emergency re-admissions within 24 h of discharge were 0.90%. Children < 5 years of age accounted for 49.44% of all admissions. The leading symptoms for PICU admissions were mainly of respiratory nature (38.41%), with 55.20% of children receiving respiratory support within the first hour of admission. During PICU stay, 68.70% received respiratory support, 38.89% cardiovascular support and 49.53% of children required sedation. The mortality rate was 1.85%. Conclusion The findings presented here and future findings from the PIA network will allow data comparison, disease surveillance and benchmarking and help advance intensive care research and clinical care of critically ill children.

Intensive Care Medicine – Paediatric and NeonatalVol. 4(1)
Goethe University Frankfurt (DE), Philipps University of Marburg (DE), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE), LMU Klinikum (DE), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE), German Society of Medical Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DE), University Hospital Frankfurt (DE), Jena University Hospital (DE), University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus (DE), University of Duisburg-Essen (DE), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 13%
Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment
1.35
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