[Paediatric intensive care in Denmark].

The practice of paediatric intensive care has matured dramatically over the past 20 years with improving intensive care unit mortality rates and a positive effect on child survival. This paper gives an overview of many of these aspects, and attempts to present a picture of the present situation in Denmark. Internationally, much of this progress has been carried out by means of a strong centralisation of the service, given its low volume, highly specialised and high cost nature. In Denmark, critically ill children are cared for in at least 27 primarily adult intensive care units by nurses and doctors who are not specifically trained in paediatric intensive care. Suggestions for a more centralisation of paediatric intensive care in Denmark are made.