Originally Posted by ginger58
I wish they could come up with Isolettes that don't make any fan noise.
I actually like that noise and think it helps the babies. It's white noise, which they say the baby is surrounded by in utero. I know that whenever I put a crying baby into an isolette, especially when he or she is within a few days of birth, that the baby seems to sleep much better and be less fussy. I often attribute that to the fan noise.
What would I like to see?
Definitely need to find another way than getting heelsticks! The smaller the baby, the more labs they order it seems!!!
I would like to see the current trend of early extubation and "kinder, gentler ventilation" continue - I'd like to see more studies about how babies fare after being allowed to have higher CO2's and to see if the decrease in BPD outweighs those risks. I'd like to see a Vapotherm-type cannula that is able to give breaths in addition to positive pressure, to help babies that otherwise might fail extubation - like when we used to do cycled CPAP on the old Sechrist vents.
I would like to see some studies showing the long-term effects of giving mild antifungals like Diflucan to babies as a preventative measure whenever they're on major antibiotics. There's nothing worse than bringing a micropreemie back from the depths of sepsis using antibiotics, only for him or her to develop overwhelming yeast a week later and then get REEEEEEAAAAALLLLLY sick. Yeast is the worst!
I would like to see us using Bactroban cream intranasally on babies colonized with MRSA, rather than just cohorting them. We did this only once and it worked, no obvious side effects either. Why keep MRSA on the unit when you can irradicate it???
I want to see more studies on hypothermia and how it can help our bigger babies.
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A few years back, I saw a medical special on the BBC that showed some of the things that they were researching in Europe with regards to NICU care. One thing was hypothermia studies, and another was just completely wild - a simulated uterus!!!
If I remember correctly, they showed a team doing a c-section on a ewe, taking her premature baby and putting it directly into a tank of some solution which I believe included liquid oxygen. The sheep never took a breath of air - the first breath was under water in the tank. I believe they placed either umbilical lines or a feeding tube to nurish the animal. I forget how it all turned out, but I know the sheep lived for a bit that way...
My coworkers and I agree, though - the day we come to work and are placed in front of an aquarium with a floating baby is the day we leave the NICU! FREAKY!!! But you know it'll happen within the next century.
Neonatal care is such a young science, and look what they've accomplished so far?
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NICU: Do you remember when...?
