Pediatric Critical Care Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
ventilator-associated pneumonia
A type of hospital-acquired pneumonia that develops in mechanically ventilated patients more than 48-72 hours after endotracheal intubation.
NIPPV
Acronym for nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation. Non-invasive respiratory support method commonly used in n...
oscillatory ventilation
High-frequency mechanical ventilation using small tidal volumes and rapid rates. Lung-protective strategy for severe res...
oxygenation index
A calculated parameter incorporating mean airway pressure to assess severity of lung injury.
PALS
Standardized emergency treatment algorithms and protocols specifically designed for critically ill or injured children.
PARDS
Pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome - a severe lung condition in children requiring specific ventilation strat...
patent ductus arteriosus
Failure of the fetal ductus arteriosus to close after birth, creating abnormal blood flow between the aorta and pulmonar...
PELOD-2
A severity scoring system that measures the degree of multiple organ dysfunction in critically ill children, used for pr...
perfusion
Blood flow delivery to tissues and organs, providing oxygen and nutrients.
peritoneal dialysis
Renal replacement therapy using the peritoneum as dialysis membrane. Important treatment modality for acute kidney injur...
periventricular leukomalacia
Brain injury affecting white matter around the ventricles, primarily seen in premature infants.
permissive hypercapnia
A lung-protective ventilation strategy that accepts elevated carbon dioxide levels to minimize ventilator-induced lung i...
permissive hypercarbia
A ventilatory strategy allowing elevated carbon dioxide levels to minimize ventilator-induced lung injury.
permissive hypotension
Therapeutic strategy allowing blood pressure below normal ranges to minimize fluid requirements and bleeding risk in tra...
persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn
Failure of normal postnatal decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance, resulting in right-to-left shunting and hypoxemia...
pharmacokinetics in pediatric critical care
The study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination in critically ill children, which differs signif...
PICU
Specialized hospital unit providing intensive care for critically ill children and adolescents.
PIM-2
A severity of illness scoring system used to predict mortality risk in pediatric intensive care patients.
PIM-3
A mortality prediction model for children admitted to pediatric intensive care units, using data available at the time o...
PIMS-TS
Paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2, a severe post-infectious inflammator...
pneumothorax
Presence of air in the pleural space causing lung collapse. Common complication in mechanically ventilated pediatric pat...
PPHN
Acronym for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. Condition where pulmonary vascular resistance remains elev...
PRES
A clinical-radiological syndrome characterized by reversible brain edema, typically affecting the posterior regions.
PRISM III
A severity scoring system used to predict mortality risk in critically ill children based on physiologic variables colle...
prone positioning
A therapeutic intervention placing patients face-down to improve oxygenation in severe lung injury.