Do paediatric high dependency units in district general hospitals improve patient care? A local review of children presenting with seizures.

Behjati S, Jamieson K, Montgomery M, et al. Arch Dis Child (2010). doi:10.1136/adc.2010.206201 1 of 1 REFERENCES 1. NHS Executive . Paediatric Intensive Care: A Framework for the Future. London : HMSO , 1997 . 2. Crawford N, Powell CVE. High dependency care. Curr Paediatr 2004 ; 14 : 197 – 201 . 3. Datt C, Robinson K. Improving paediatric high dependency provision at a district general hospital. Paediatr Nurs 2007 ; 19 : 23 – 7 . Following centralisation of paediatric intensive care, paediatric high dependency units (PHDUs) have been set up in some district general hospitals (DGHs) across the UK as recommended by the Department of Health. 1 2 While children with a variety of acute illnesses are managed in PHDUs, their impact on health outcomes such as quality and cost of care remains unknown. 2 3 Based on our experience, PHDUs may improve the care of children with an underlying diagnosis of epilepsy who Sam Behjati, 1 Katharine Jamieson, 1 Mary Montgomery, 2,3 Neeta Patel, 1 Mervyn Jaswon 1