Practical Procedures

POLL: What is your policy/practice for collecting blood culture specimens when a central line is in place? Specifically, I am interested in knowing if you collect any specimens for blood culture from the central line (PICC, CVL) or if you prefer to collect any specimens for blood culture from peripheral venipuncture sites.

It rarely has to be performed at our hospital, but here I found a great review and step-by-step approach to all aspects regarding EXIT procedure (ex-utero intrapartum treatment) at birth http://journals.lww.com/co-pediatrics/Abstract/2012/06000/EXIT_procedure_for_fetal_neck_masses.17.aspx

Ive heard some recommendation to use smaller ETT with down syndrome babies secondary to their risk of developing subglottic stenosis . Any ideas?

Dear all, in our units most extremely preterm infants get umbil artery catheters (UACs), high position, and we tend to keep those for quite many days. In the most immature infants (23-24 weeks), sometimes up to 10-12 days, but usually we take it away at the end of the first week of life. We place peripheral radial artery catheters if those infants deterioate later (sepsis etc). Although we hardly see complications such as distal gangrene och symptomatic aortic thrombosis, I have a feeling that this practise of keeping UACs for many days is different from the routines in other units. What is your routines/protocols for UACs?

I open this thread for the member sasa, who originally posted this topic in the Blog section. In our house-keeping of 99nicu.org, we aim at publishing all discussion topics in the forums, whereas the Blogs are meant for more personal reflections.

We´re revising our instructions on nutrition and one thing came up: Do you let your newly extubated patients eat or do you let them wait a certain time to prevent aspiration?

Hello!! greetings from Hyderabad India what sedation or anaesthesia do you use in neonates for procedures like MRI.

DOES ANY ONE STERILIZES THE PROTECTIVE LEAD APRON WORN BY THE NURSE OR THE RADIOGRAPHERS AFTER USE WHILE TAKING X-RAYS IN THE NICU?IF SO, HOW? V.Baichoo Corniche Hospital Abu-Dhabi, U.A.E.

what do you think ? In our unit ,We are beginning to use PICC ( but we do not have much experience yet ) and want to make a protocol to treat the infant of the diabetic mother. Do you use umbilical via (probably will not for long) or PICC (course if required). Thanks in advance

I was wondering who are inserting IV canula to babies in your NICU and also taking blood sampling like CBC and rotuine stuff. 1) Doctors 2) Nurses In Our unit Nurses insert IV lines and draw routine investigations. only blood Cultures are taken by Doctors. Of course nurses take it from heel prick or venous samples. I have seen this practice in some NICU that Doctors insert IV lines and take blood samples. Is it evidence based that doctors in NICU also act like Phelebotomists??. Imagine a 30-40 bed NICU and doctor at night call have to take ABG, CBC etc , and how he or she will focus on patient management? Any comments on this issue will be appreciated