ReviewActa paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)2026
Integrating Paediatric Intermediate Care Units Into Tiered Care Systems: A Narrative Review and Italian Perspective.
Review in Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimPaediatric hospital care has become increasingly complex with many children requiring monitoring and support beyond general ward capabilities. This review evaluated the role of paediatric intermediate care units (PIMCUs) within tiered paediatric care systems, with a focus on organizational impact and implementation in Italy.
methodsWe conducted a narrative review using PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library up to 31 December 2025. Studies addressing PIMCUs were included, together with selected adult studies on organizational and economic aspects. The PIMCU model at the Gaslini Institute in Genoa, Italy, was also described.
resultsPIMCUs provided intermediate care for children requiring enhanced monitoring and noninvasive support without full intensive care. Paediatric studies suggested improved patient allocation, reduced inappropriate intensive care admissions and safer transitions of care, findings supported by adult literature with potential cost-effectiveness. In Italy, limited intensive care capacity, regional disparities and lack of formal recognition of PIMCUs contributed to fragmented care pathways. The model developed by our Institute showed that an integrated PIMCU within a hub-and-spoke network improved patient flow, preserved intensive care capacity and enhanced system resilience.
conclusionsPIMCUs are key components of acuity-based paediatric care systems. Their implementation may improve efficiency, equity and patient safety.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.