To identify studies eligible for this review, we searched Medline , EMBASE (1974 EMBASE ( -2006 , CINAHL (1982 CINAHL ( -2006 , pre-CINAHL and the Cochrane Library (2006) in March 2006. In the search strategy, all terms mapped to the appropriate MeSH/EMTREE subject headings and "exploded" were used; among them were: paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), septic shock, respiratory insufficiency, meningococcal disease, central venous catheterisation, intubation, physical and psychological sequelae, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), QoL, health status and long-term outcome.