Pediatric critical care medicine: planning for our research future.
OBJECTIVE
To introduce to the pediatric critical care medicine community a new program in pediatric critical care medicine at the National Institutes of Health.


METHODS
Summary of literature review and conference proceedings.


RESULTS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 2A03 MSC 7510, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. nicholca@mail.nih.gov
Carol E
CE
Nicholson
Bruce M
BM
Gans
Anthony C
AC
Chang
Murray M
MM
Pollack
James
J
Blackman
Brett P
BP
Giroir
Douglas
D
Wilson
Jerry J
JJ
Zimmerman
John
J
Whyte
Heidi J
HJ
Dalton
Joseph A
JA
Carcillo
Adrienne G
AG
Randolph
Patrick M
PM
Kochanek
D002648:Child; D003422:Critical Care / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D010372:Pediatrics; D010810:Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000639:trends*; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States