Update on pediatric neurocritical care.

Paralytic poliomyelitis, Reye syndrome, Hemophilus Influenzae type B epiglottitis, bacterial meningitis, and meningococcal septic shock are catastrophic illnesses that in the last 60 years have shaped the development of pediatric intensive care. Neurocritical care has been at the forefront of our thinking and, more latterly, as a specialty we have had the technology and means to develop this focus, educate the next generation and show that outcomes can be improved-first in adult critical care and now the task is to translate these benefits to critically ill children. In our future we will need to advance interventions in patient care with clinical trials. MeSH terms: Neurocritical care; child; traumatic brain injury; status epilepticus; cerebrovascular.