Johns Hopkins Children's Center pediatric respiratory care, pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and pediatric PFT departments are located at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. They  are part of the Department of Pediatrics and have more than 90 highly skilled and knowledgeable respiratory care practitioners (RCPs) and ECMO specialists. Our specialists provide comprehensive respiratory care services including general care, critical care, internal and external transport (air and ground), emergency services and ECMO. These services are among the most specialized and extensive available nationwide.

RCPs at the JHCC work across a variety of settings in the hospital, such as the neonatal, pediatric and pediatric cardiac intensive care units, the pediatric emergency department and general care areas.

Pediatric Respiratory Care

Respiratory care at JHCC takes place place in a variety of areas, including the 28-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the 12-bed pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU), which cares for children with complex congenital heart defects. This care is provided by RCPs, who also support patients in the pediatric emergency department and the general care areas, providing care for patients from birth through adolescence and address a wide range of illnesses and complications.

Patients may require respiratory care services that include:

• Ventilator management with both conventional and high frequency oscillatory (HFO) and high frequency jet (HFJ) ventilation
• Noninvasive ventilation
• Specialty gas monitoring and delivery
• Intubation assistance
• Nitric oxide administration
• Blood gas acquisition and interpretation

The PICU at Johns Hopkins is Maryland’s official facility for pediatric patients with traumatic injuries and treats more than 1,000 pediatric traumas annually. It is also the state’s only facility providing ECMO for infants and children with severe cardiac and respiratory failure.

Learn more about the PICU

Neonatal Respiratory Care

JHCC has one of only two level IV neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Maryland. The 4-bed unit is staffed with highly trained and passionate respiratory therapists who are vital members of the multidisciplinary NICU team. Patients in the NICU may require various neonatal therapeutic equipment and processes, such as:

• Ventilator management with both conventional and HFO and HFJ ventilation
• Surfactant administration
• Intubation
• Nitric oxide administration
• Blood gas acquisition and interpretation
• Blood gas lab organization and maintenance
• Support for high risk deliveries
• Internal and external ground and air transport

Pediatric ECMO Program

The internationally renowned ECMO program at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center delivers state-of-the-art support for infants and children with life-threatening conditions. The multidisciplinary ECMO team includes highly trained respiratory therapists who, along with other caregivers, manage patients receiving ECMO in the PICU and PCICU.

Learn more about the ECMO Program