Skin Care

Gompers, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2003

Originally posted by prmenrs
Thanks for that vey comprehensive list, Gompers.

I know I wrote an awful lot, and I'm sorry to go on and on like that - I'm just wondering if this seems to y'all like it is a safe practice, as we are about to start writing an official skincare policy any day now. Our NICU used to be great with skincare, but somehow developed bad habits and really fell behind the times...

BTW, what is "butt paste" as I've never heard of it?

LisaRN2B · Nov 23, 2003

I am a student still taking my prereqs for nursing school, I have found this thread to be very informative...I do not wish to intrude and don't want to get too off topic here, but I guess I will for a moment:D ...please educate me about this if you are willing...

With all the talk of tape in this thread, and it sometimes peeling off the skin, it reminded me of when my daughter, then about 12 months, was in the hospital with RSV. She was there about four or five days. At discharge the nurse was removing the IV and when she took the tape off of her arm, it took the skin right along with it. Granted, newborn skin is WAY more delicate than a one year old's skin. But...I also changed her diaper as we were being discharged and she had a HORRIBLE yeast rash on her diaper area...bleeding, skin coming off. Of course she had been pumped full of antibiotics and I understand that causes yeast rashes. The nurse continued with the discharge and I asked if we were going to be given anything for the rash on my daughters butt. She said to just use Desitin. Umm, I don't think so. Demanded (yes, I guess I am one of those parents) that she call the doctor to get something for what was obviously a yeast infection. As for the skin being ripped from her arm, I was told to use the ointment my daughter was prescribed on that area as well, though I was told at the time she had had a reaction to the adhesive on the tape :confused:

Okay, so my question is, was the skin peeling off of her arm with the tape because of the tape or because that was also part of the yeast thing going on with her? I am curious because when my daughter has needed a bandage or something taped to her skin since then I tell them she is allergic to adhesive, BUT she has had regular bandaids and things on her skin with no reaction. I am thinking that was a yeast reaction on her arm under the tape...what do you think?

(sorry so long!)

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Nov 30, 2003

Originally posted by Gompers
what is "butt paste" as I've never heard of it?

Butt paste (as we know it), is a compound mixed by the pharmacist.

To make 6oz: Questran 1 pkt

Mylanta 10 ml's

Aquaphor 5.2 oz

Usually a prn order. It's creamy, not sticky like desitin.

For bathing normal newborns, the hospital provides Johnsons something-or-other in the newborn kits. For our babies, we use Neutrogena soap, even for the hair. They smell so good after a bath! When they are stable, they are bathed every couple of days-as long as it's not so crazy busy that we don't have the time.

LisaRN2B-sorry your baby had such problems. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of abx therapy can be a very sore butt. The baby gets liquid squirty stool, and it must burn when it's coming out. Some of them get a yeast infection, too. I'm a big believer in yogurt, when I'm on abx.

The skin being ripped of your babies arm was due to tape being stuck down well. I would hope that the nurse felt bad about that. If you find that she tolerates bandaids, she is probably not allergic to tape.

LisaRN2B · Nov 30, 2003

Originally posted by Mimi2RN
LisaRN2B-sorry your baby had such problems. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of abx therapy can be a very sore butt. The baby gets liquid squirty stool, and it must burn when it's coming out. Some of them get a yeast infection, too. I'm a big believer in yogurt, when I'm on abx.

The skin being ripped of your babies arm was due to tape being stuck down well. I would hope that the nurse felt bad about that. If you find that she tolerates bandaids, she is probably not allergic to tape.

TY for your reply. I don't know if the nurse felt badly about it or not (I know I would have if I had been the nurse). She didn't even comment about it and was ready to send us on our way before I made a comment about the arm/butt situation. It all turned out well in the end (no pun intended!), my daughter got better and aside for some slight scarring from the yeast rash, she did heal. (She's 9 yrs. old now, and doing fine!)

NeoMomRN · Dec 9, 2003

Our skin care, as far as bathing and lotion goes, is in the reworks now. We have had some out breaks of infection in our unit and, like I saw someone mention, some of our nurses are very serious about thier bathing. They scrub and soak and then lotion up. We are not allowed to use lotion in our unit, but they do. The only approved moistureizer is aquaphor and they are in the process of redoing that too. Baby lotion is a no no d/t the non antibacterial aspect of it. As far as the amount of bathing goes, we do M-W-F right now, but only if the baby is stable enough and only sponge baths for the vents, lines, ivs etc.

We use the mess out of Deuoderm. under any taped product, except IVs, sat probes, and EKG leads. ETTs are taped to the deuoderm with pink tape. OGTs are taped with either pink tape or clear micropore (I think is what it is called) tape to the deouderm. Temp probes are put on the heart and the deuoderm will have a small hole in it so the actual probe is touching the heart and the skin. It is very rarely that you see tape directly on the body esp in a micronate. We don't usually use leads on micronates until they are about 2 weeks old unless there is something going on and then we will put them on the back since the chest is so small and they don't really stay on well. we use poseys on our sat probes and if needed we cut both the posey and the sat probe down to the size, by cutting the stickey strip off. I hope this helps some.