Pediatric critical care medicine: planning for our research future

Abstract

Objective: To introduce to the pediatric critical care medicine community a new program in pediatric critical care medicine at the National Institutes of Health.

Data source: Summary of literature review and conference proceedings.

Data synthesis: At the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), a new program in pediatric critical care and rehabilitation research has been established in the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research. The program is directed by a pediatric intensivist and is focused on developing research directed toward improving long-term outcomes in pediatric critical care and on incorporating pediatric rehabilitation medicine as a partner in this goal. To provide strategic direction for the new program, the NICHD sponsored a planning conference May 3-4, 2002, at the NICHD in Bethesda, MD. The conference invitees represented a broad range of pediatric critical care medicine clinical and research interests, expertise, and career stages. It also included individuals with expertise in rehabilitation research.

Conclusion: The composition of the new program, including its link to physical medicine and rehabilitation, is discussed. In addition, recommendations by the conference participants and program director are provided to foster the development of more randomized, controlled clinical trials and to develop successful clinician scientists in pediatric critical care medicine.