The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the RCH sees over a thousand critically ill infants and children every year, helping keep them as safe and comfortable as possible through exceptional care and innovative technology. Thanks to the support of philanthropy, the hospital has been able to invest in yet another vital device for the PICU – syringe drivers.  

As Kym Bain, a Clinical Nurse Consultant in PICU explained, syringe drivers play a vital role in providing sick children with ongoing support and treatment. 

“Syringe drivers enable us to deliver intravenous medications, fluids and nutrition to some of the most critically ill children at RCH.  

“The majority of children in PICU require continuous infusions to support their circulation, provide pain relief, sedation and treatment with antibiotics, electrolytes and other medications.”  

As Kym explains, investing in high-quality syringe drivers has been revolutionary for patients in the PICU.  

“There are some children in PICU who will require only three drivers, whilst those who are critically unwell may require 15 to 18 drivers! We are most fortunate to have a large number of drivers which are easily accessible and available to use,” Kym explained.  

The updated equipment, funded by philanthropy, does not just offer safer medical administration but also has incredible staff benefits.  

Before this, the PICU was impacted by device shortages and struggled with the older devices’ limited functionality. It was a pressure felt throughout many areas of the hospital. 

 “The syringe drivers are in constant use, so using drivers of such high quality makes such a difference to us,” said Kym. 

“We are incredibly grateful to the generosity of donors for enabling us to provide the best care we can, in the safest way possible to all our patients.” Kym added.