oxygen and vaseline

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Ok. I have heard that vaseline or carmex being used on the patients lips or nose that is using oxygen can be combustable. Is is true. and if so is is evidenced based practice not to use it. And finally if it is combustable and dangerous, is there an alternative?

Specializes in NICU Level III.

Hah, someone just told me about this tonight. I'd never heard of it.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Once when I forgot my chapstick and my lips were killing me, I tried some of the water soluble lubricant. It was useless. Vaseline, on the other hand, works like a charm.

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There will be burning similar to a sunburn. There's the evidence. Use a water based moisturizer instead. Nothing petroleum based. There will not be an explosion even if you hold a lit cigarette to the oxygen valve on the wall. It will burn away instantly before your eyes, your fingertips will be burned before you can drop the butt

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

It would need a source of ignition, but that's not out of the realms of possibility. There could be a scenario where the patient plugs in their cell phone using a faulty wire or some similar event. Add to that a NTG patch and there'd be a pretty big problem.

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