Townsville University Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

Townsville University Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) specialises in the care of critically ill and injured children, and acts as a tertiary referral and advisory resource for all hospitals, health services and communities in the North Queensland region. 

PICU also assists Retrieval Services Queensland, Lifeflight and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Medical Services in the transport of critically ill children across the North Queensland region.

The unit supports major elective paediatric surgery, neurosurgery, ENT and maxillofacial surgery and orthopaedics, as well as assisting with emergency surgery, trauma, and all forms of severe medical illness. Renal replacement therapy, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, and non-invasive ventilation are therapies provided at Townsville University Hospital.

While most patients can be cared for right here in Townsville, some very specialised categories of patient may be better managed by centralised services with resources dedicated to those conditions. Children in these categories are stabilised in Townsville and safely transported to the most appropriate major centre, in Brisbane or interstate. Telephone and teleheath consultations with subspecialist paediatricians (Australia-wide) may support patients to remain in Townsville. Townsville University Hospital PICU does not provide ECMO / ECLS.