Continuous aerosol treatment

[rnsusan]

I work on a general peds floor. The hospital has decided to start giving continuous albuterol aerosol treatments on the floor for asthma exacerbation. Anyone else work in a hospital that does continuous aerosols on the floor. BTW where my unit is located it is a minimum of 8 - 10 minute trip to the ICU or step down unit.

[WSU_Ally_RN, BSN, RN]

That sounds kinda scary... kids on continuous can go bad so quick! Anyone on continuous at my hospital buys a bed in the PICU! (We do not have a step down unit.) I don't take care of a lot of asthmatics, but I think they have to be getting albuterol puffs q2hrs and atrovent q4hrs before we'll send them to the regular floor.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

We are a general peds floor and take kids on continuous nebs. They are always labeled as progressive (we are able to take progressive patients on the floor, staffing permitting) and do require more assessment. I *believe* we have a time limit protocol in place - meaning if they can't wean off in a certain amount of hours they go downstairs - but I also think that no one listens to that. LOL! We do have a Pediatric Emergency Response team in place and our PICU is a 3 minutes trip.

[rncat2000]

Continous nebs at my hospital are treated on our step down unit and if serious enough to the picu but never on the floor. The nurse pt ratio is to high on the regular floors.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

We do them all the time. Regular floor, not step-down. Heck, that would be our "easy" patient. I don't worry until the mag isn't working.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

We do them all the time. Regular floor, not step-down. Heck, that would be our "easy" patient. I don't worry until the mag isn't working.

Hahahaha, this exactly!