Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
At the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, more than 10,000 children are anesthesized for surgical and medical procedures each year.The Divisions of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine provide expert comprehensive perioperative and medical care for premature babies, newborns, children and adolescents at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and its affiliates. The Children’s Center is the premier major tertiary care academic institution and level I trauma center for children in the state of Maryland and surrounding areas. Our goal is to innovate, develop leadership in the field and deliver the highest quality medical care in a safe, compassionate and child-friendly way.
The two Divisions that comprise Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine include over 80 clinicians, including physicians, certified registered nurse anesthetists and nurse practitioners, who provide care in pediatric anesthesiology, critical care medicine and pain management. In the Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology, our anesthesiologists are all board certified or board eligible, have completed subspecialty training in pediatric anesthesiology and/or critical care medicine, and many hold additional board certifications in pediatrics and pain management. In the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (PCCM), our pediatric intensivists are all board-certified pediatricians with subspecialty certification in pediatric critical care medicine. These doctors and nurses are world-renowned and ranked among the country and region’s top doctors in national surveys and Baltimore magazine.
More than 10,000 children are anesthetized for surgical and medical procedures, and more than 3,000 children are treated for acute and chronic pain conditions by the division every year. The Pediatric ICU and Pediatric Cardiac ICU in the Children’s Center is staffed by the Division of PCCM’s physicians and nurse practitioners who provide care for medical, surgical, cardiac, trauma, transplant, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), burn and cancer patients. We also partner with the Maryland State Police to provide expertise in transporting critically ill children throughout Maryland.
Our Services
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Anesthesia management is available for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including:
- MRI and CT scans
- invasive radiology
- auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing
- gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures
- cardiac catheterization
- minor hematology/oncology procedures, such as bone marrow aspiration and lumbar puncture
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Surgical anesthesia can be provided for all types of routine pediatric surgery, including outpatient ear, nose and throat procedures, urology surgeries and general surgery cases.
Our anesthesiologists also provide anesthesia for complex operations in children, such as:
- congenital heart surgery
- organ transplantation
- neurosurgery
- craniofacial reconstruction
- complex urogenital reconstruction
- orthopedic spine surgery
- airway reconstruction
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Provided by a team with subspecialty training in pediatric and adult cardiac anesthesiology.
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Operating room services are performed in the general operating rooms. Operating room nursing staff, anesthesiologists and surgeons are specially trained to work with children of all ages. There is at least one registered nurse and pediatric anesthesiologist assigned to each patient in the operating room.
One adult (parent, guardian or relative) can accompany the child into the operating room until the child has fallen asleep from the anesthesia medicine.
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The Preoperative Unit is a kid-friendly area with toys, videos, computer games and televisions conveniently located a short distance from the general operating rooms. It has a full time staff of pediatric nurses and Child Life specialists dedicated to helping children and their families cope with having a surgical procedure.
While preparing children for surgery, they strive to reduce the anxieties normally associated with the approaching anesthesia and surgery. The pediatric anesthesiologists and anesthetists interview and examine children prior to surgery in the preoperative area, and then oversee the comfort of the children after surgery in the Postoperative Care Unit, also known as the recovery or wake-up area.
Parents or guardians can stay with their children in the Postoperative Care Unit.
Preparing for Your Child's Surgery
We know preparing for your child's surgery can be stressful, so we offer information and resources you need to know to prepare children of all ages for what will occur.
Preparing for Surgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center
Supporting Your Child on Surgery Day
More About Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
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Contact Us
- Consultation: 410-955-7610
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: 410-955-6412
- Physician-to-physician referrals: 410-955-9444 or toll free 800-765-5447
The Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine provides services in both the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and the Levi Watkins, Jr, MD, Outpatient Center.