[BBnurse34]

Recently our couple care nurses have been running gent on newborns in the mother's room. They just bring in a syringe pump, set it to run over 30 min and leave.
Does this seem like a safe practice?

[Gompers]

I don't think it is, but then again I'm a NICU nurse. However, sometimes I get pulled down to newborn nursery, and I can't imagine doing this. I know the focus is on having the baby in mom's room all the time and that some hospitals don't even have real nurseries anymore...but if a baby has a reason to be getting IV gent, then to me that's enough of a reason to take him out of mom's room at least once or twice a day to run the antibiotic safely. You never know who is going to be fussing with the baby during infusion, and you also get the chance to really assess the baby. Just my opinion.

[L&D_RN_OH]

Seems like if a baby is sick enough to need gent, he should probably be in SCN. At least for the dose. Generally, I am all for rooming in, but I think if it is only a 30 min infusion, baby would be fine in the NSY, epsecially to assess for infiltration frequently, since Gent can be tough on veins.

[fergus51]

You can give gent as a slow push, and that would be my preference. However, I don't really think it would make any difference if the baby was in the nursery, unless they have time to check the IV every 10 minutes, which I certainly don't. I know some babies are on antibx prophylactically pending 48 hour cultures, and it seems a little silly to bother with moving them if that's the only reason. BUT, you need pumps that lock and it needs to be checked before and after the infusion and the parents need to be reasonably intelligent and trustworthy.

[BarbPick]

If the parents are taught about the IV and pump, sure, why not. Include mom, reinforce how the pump needs not to be touched, not to try to push the pump faster, enough slack in the IV tubing. Remind mom to ring the call light if she perceives a problem.
She is the one who probably spiked a temp in labor, so chances are a High Tech home health nurse will come to her house for the 7 days after discharge to complete the IV antibiotics anyway.

[prmenrs]

Actually, the current recommendations for antibiotics are Amp and Cef, both of which can be pushed.

One hospital I'm familiar w/ has kids on IV antibiotics in Mother-Baby, babies w/running IV's have to go to the NICU. The other has any baby w/an IV for any reason in the NICU.

The other problem I'd be concerned about is IV pumps winding up @ the local swap meet.

[dawngloves]

I see nothing wrong with it. If you can pop in during the infusion and check the site you are doing nothing more than a nurse in the NICU would do.
I often push Amp after a delivery or in an immergent NEC type situation, otherwise I infuse abx over half an hour, vanco 60 min but they wouldn't be on the floor I bet.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I prefer to have the baby in the nursery when infusing abx to observe the site while they go in, and to make sure no one fiddles with the pump when i am not there. It's a liability thing with me and a personal choice. We have NO policies requiring abx to infuse IN the NURSERY, but I feel it's the smart thing to do,especially given some of the outright weird and ignorant people that have these babies sometimes....can't be too careful in my book.

[fergus51]

Don't you guys have pumps that lock? Ours can be locked and require a staff member's code to unlock.

[BBnurse34]

Ours do not lock.