Great Ormond Street. Part 2, Caught in the machine.

The second in a three-part series looking in depth at the challenging and inspiring work of specialist paediatricians at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London. This part focuses on the work of the intensive care unit, particularly the children who end up in the unit for a long time. Seven-year-old Ellis is suffering from an unknown illness which has led to multiple organ failure and constant ventilation. Ellis' condition deteriorates rapidly and he dies. Baby Uzoma has been in and out of ITU for 8 months since she was born. Many different procedures are followed but Uzoma never gains weight and her breathing becomes increasingly laboured. She dies. Medics and surgeons discuss the case of a newborn baby who was born without a windpipe. Surgical options are debated and doctors agree that a new trachea could be grown from the baby's stem cells (a novel and experimental procedure not carried out before). Eight-month-old Deanne was an extremely premature baby and has been on intensive care units since birth and has neurological damage with a poor prognosis - she is shown at home with her mother at the end of the programme. Many of the long-term patients on the ITU are extremely premature babies. Tough discussions are included with regards to the ethics behind keeping very sick children alive for long periods of time when there is little or no hope of recovery. The staff at many levels of seniority comment.