Initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic have largely spared children. With the advent of vaccination in many older age groups and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, however, children now represent a growing percentage of COVID-19 cases. PICU capacity is far less than that of adult ICUs. Adult ICUs may need to support pediatric care, much as PICUs provided adult care earlier in the pandemic. Critically ill children selected for care in adult settings should be at least 12 years of age and ideally have conditions common in children and adults alike (eg, community-acquired sepsis, trauma). Children with complex, pediatric-specific disorders are best served in PICUs and are not recommended for transfer. The goal of such transfers is to maintain critical capacity for those children in greatest need of the PICU’s unique abilities, therefore preserving systems of care for all children.

COVID-19 大流行的最初浪潮在很大程度上使儿童幸免于难。然而，随着许多老年人群接种疫苗的出现以及具有高度传染性的 Delta 变种的传播，儿童现在在 COVID-19 病例中的比例越来越高。PICU的容量远低于成人ICU。成人 ICU 可能需要支持儿科护理，就像 PICU 在大流行早期提供成人护理一样。选择在成人环境中接受护理的重症儿童应至少 12 岁，并且理想情况下具有儿童和成人常见的疾病（例如，社区获得性败血症、外伤）。患有复杂的儿科特异性疾病的儿童最好在 PICU 中服务，不建议转移。这种转移的目标是为那些最需要 PICU 独特能力的儿童维持关键能力，