[SheaTabRN]

What do you guys use for a sterile cath urine specimen/or indwelling? We use feeding tubes... 5F, and for me, it seems difficult to keep it sterile while transferring from the long and thin packaging to the baby. Probably will get better with time.

Thanks in advance!

Tab

Oh yeah.... and what do you guys store breast milk in?

[Horseyrn]

Hi, we used to use feeding tubes but now we have catheters intended for urinary catheterization. We have sterile containers that we give to our Mom's for the breat Milk. Hope that helps

[Mira]

We still use feeding tubes for big babies unable to wee,sterile plastic glove for very prem,we have U-bag(not good if sterile spcimen is required) and prem Urinicol(too sticky for prem skin).I hope appropriate catheters from NY will be shifted to London soon

[NICU_Nurse]

At my old facility, we used the Argyle feeding tubes (5fr) for caths. They come in the long packaging you're talking about. At my new facility, we use the Bard feeding tubes, which come in different (read: easier to keep sterile, based on your initial complaint) packaging (square rather than long and thin). Why don't you ask if you can order some Bard 5fr feeding tubes for cath purposes? Tell them you feel strongly that it would improve the sterility of the procedure d/t easier packaging, etc. It's worth a shot!

Also, both places I've worked have been very big on team work- get a partner! Have them open the packaging for you and hold it while you take it out- that would solve your problem right there.

As a last resort, I find elbows work wonders. If I don't have a partner, I might take the open-at-the-top package with the feeding tube and wedge it between myself and the wall of the radiant warmer, using my body to hold it in place and my sterile gloved hands to pull it out (because sometimes they get stuck in there and won't just slide out).

Or, you could set up a sterile field and drop your tube into it while you're not gloved- remember that technique? Then, when you glove up and move to your supplies, which are all sterile, your tube would be sterile because you only touched the outside of the package to open it before you gloved up.

[SheaTabRN]

Thanks so much!!!

I'm not sure I've developed the 4th and 5th hand necessary to be a NICU nurse yet... still trying!!!

Tab

[Mimi2RN]

We had a 5 fr og tube that tied itself in a knot inside the baby, several years ago. Since then. we have used sterile cath kits, with a 5 fr cath. The urine goes into an attached tube container. We pull the tube out and send it to lab.


http://www.tshsc.com/images/literatu...theterkits.pdf



For breast milk, we hand out flats of sterile water bottles. Throw away the water, and attach the bottle straight to the pump.

[NICU_Nurse]

Oh, those are wonderful!!! Thanks for the link.

[SheaTabRN]

Originally posted by Mimi2RN
We had a 5 fr og tube tied itself in a knot inside the baby, several years ago. Since then. we have used sterile cath kits, with a 5 fr cath. The urine goes into an attached tube container. We pull the tube out and send it to lab.

So what if the cathater is to be left indwelling??? How does that wonderful product work in that case??? It looks fabulous for in/out sampling... can it be used for indwelling?

Thanks in Advance!

Tabitha

[prmenrs]

Cathing an infant is absolutely a 2 person job. Another tip is take 2 sterile Q-tips and have your partner use them to hold the labia minora apart. Sterile dry 2x2's can help for the boys. And plenty of LIGHT, aimed in the right direction.

[Mimi2RN]

Originally posted by SheaTabRN
So what if the cathater is to be left indwelling??? How does that wonderful product work in that case??? It looks fabulous for in/out sampling... can it be used for indwelling?

You would have to use a different product for indwelling. We don't use them, it sounds like feeding tubes are the only other alternative. Do some NICU's use indwelling catheters?

I suppose it could be left in for a while with a sick/sedated neonate. Someone who doesn't pee a lot......

mimi