PICU Dolphin Appeal

Addenbrooke's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is running its Dolphin Appeal to raise £34,000 for a state-of-the-art ultrasound scanner for the unit.

Former patient, Sam Chapman, and his family (pictured below) are supporting the appeal. At three years old Sam suffered from a rare complication from common childhood chickenpox, resulting in septic shock, septicaemia and cellulitus, and was rushed from his local hospital to Addenbrooke's PICU for treatment (read Sam's full story at the link below).

Every year, around 500 seriously ill babies and children, like Sam are rushed to Addenbrooke’s PICU. Their young lives depend on urgent, effective treatment. Providing this treatment almost always means inserting a central line – a tube fed into the child’s vein, allowing swift access to a site near the heart. It’s the best way to deliver life-saving drugs, nutrition and blood.
But inserting a central line can be difficult, even for the most experienced doctor, and can take many attempts. By making a donation to the PICU Dolpin Appeal today, you could help buy an ultrasound scanner that would make central line insertion fast and straightforward, every time. The new scanner will let doctors look inside a child’s body, using ultrasound to quickly locate the exact spot where the central line can be inserted correctly first time. Using the scanner, the entire procedure should be over in less than 15 minutes.
	"The ultrasound scanner can also be used to save children’s lives in otherways. It could help us diagnose heart conditions that would be fatal if undetected. Used as a brain scanner, it can help us spot blood seeping into the brain. The scanner can even be used to help administer vital medicine to babies and children, such as drugs to overcome septic shock. With so many uses, this fantastic piece of equipment will help us to save lives every single day." Dr Samir Latifi, Clinical Director of PICU

To help PICU buy a dedicated scanner that would have made Sam’s treatment easier, please donate to the Dolphin Appeal at the link below today. The Chapmans