Sibling Visitation Rules Exist For A Reason...

Specialties NICU

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Specializes in NICU.

Long story short - a family came in to visit their baby on the unit. They brought their 15mo old to come see her new baby sister for the first time.

For all siblings under the age of 12, parents have to fill out (and sign) a form that states that the child hasn't been exposed to anything contagious, no fever, no rash... all of that good stuff. They are allowed to visit for 20min 2x/week.

So this family comes in with their 15mo old, with the questionare sheet in hand - and states that they think that the 15mo has a fever. Mind you - they're in the room, right at their baby's bedside. The nurse takes the 15mo old's temp - and it's 103.

She sends them out of the room immediately and tells them to take her to their pediatrican, which they do. Later that day, our unit gets a call from the pediatrician who states that the 15mo old probably has the measles.

Great. So now that entire room (all 6 babies) is on airborn isolation and is co-horted (no babies inr or out of that room) for 21 days. All who enter have to wear masks (hosp staff has to wear those lovely N-95 masks) for the full 21 days. All babies in that room got the immunoglobulin just in case. A few of the parents of the other babies are really mad at that family (who can blame them).

Seriously.... the rules exist for a reason!

:banghead:

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

And Medicare (Medicaid?) is planning to stop paying for "avoidable" nosocomial complications??!!

I hope the responsible family is billed for every dose of immune-globulin, every isolation item, every additional day's stay for the cohorted babies, etc...

We had a similar experience with a family bringing their child with active chicken pox up to visit mom in her semi-private room on post-partum, during family visiting hours when all of the (previously well) babies were out with their moms. We needed so many doses of VZIG that the state police had to drive to the CDC in Atlanta to pick it up.

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Specializes in NICU.

We had a similar experience with a family bringing their child with active chicken pox up to visit mom in her semi-private room on post-partum, during family visiting hours when all of the (previously well) babies were out with their moms. We needed so many doses of VZIG that the state police had to drive to the CDC in Atlanta to pick it up.

Yikes....

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Do you guys ask if the sibs are vax? All ours must be up to date or at least the parents say they are...

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Specializes in NICU.

I'm sorry but really, How stupid can people be!!

I think people forget that it is an INTENSIVE care nursery...if you even have a doubt about something like that, don't come in!

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Specializes in NICU.

At least you guys HAVE sibling visitation rules. We have none - no limits, no questionnaires. Just "Hey, you're coughing and sneezing to beat the band. Are you not feeling well? Could you wear a mask? No? It's just allergies? Oh, okay then."

And now we have a 3 month old baby with Influenza. Huh. Wonder how that happened?

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

Oh man! Did the staff have to get titers also? That happened to us one time with a RESIDENT! Can we say idiot??? Luckily he didn't make it into the unit, but he was in the conference room and we were in there!

We ask if they were vaxed, but I now from experience that they lie. Our visitation starts at 3 yo, which by then they are real cess pools of germs.

We have had two kids with H flu...and their moms are healthcare workers that would come in after work with their scrubs on...duh, and they both work at nursing homes....eek!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Had a 3 m/o ex 26 weeker I was primarying. Finally got him off the vent, and off O2 on full feeds. Enter long-lost grandma one day. Complains to me while holding the baby that she has a streaky vesicular rash on her side. Also has had a temp. So I calmly take the baby from her, scrub the kid down and put him in a clean isolette after asking her to go see her MD immediately. Turns out she had shingles. Poor baby had to get an IV just for VZIG. We also had to keep an eagle eye on the other kids near him, and had the CDC on standby for 35 more doses of VZIG and a unit closure plan in place if anyone got a rash. Luckily we dodged that bullet. I thought the baby's mother was going to physically scratch her mother-in-law's eyes out.

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In this day and age, where we have access to so much healthcare news, thru magazines, internet, people's personal physicians, health clinics, television, and only God knows what else, it makes me wonder if these kind of people just got transported here by aliens from another planet.

Gee whiz, some people can be stupid.

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Specializes in Med-surg; OB/Well baby; pulmonology; RTS.

I hope the responsible family is billed for every dose of immune-globulin, every isolation item, every additional day's stay for the cohorted babies, etc...

That is how I would feel if something like that happened while my babies were in the NICU.:angryfire

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And Medicare (Medicaid?) is planning to stop paying for "avoidable" nosocomial complications??!!

I hope the responsible family is billed for every dose of immune-globulin, every isolation item, every additional day's stay for the cohorted babies, etc...

We had a similar experience with a family bringing their child with active chicken pox up to visit mom in her semi-private room on post-partum, during family visiting hours when all of the (previously well) babies were out with their moms. We needed so many doses of VZIG that the state police had to drive to the CDC in Atlanta to pick it up.

And that they have to pay for it out of pocket, and cannot use bankruptcy to discharge that debt.

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