Aquaphor burning skin??

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Just wondering if anyone else is having this problem...our micropreemies' skin is burning and we think it is related to the aquaphor. Obviously, we know that their skin is fragile as is their water/fluid/temp balance and thus we use aquaphor for that. What we are finding is: skin emaciation - looks like burns almost- under temp probe gold hearts (adhesive stickers to hold the temp probe to skin) and when the baby is under phototherapy. We are only seeing it when the baby has Aquaphor on their skin. Has anyone else seen this? Do you use something different for the skin that doesn't react to gold hearts or to phototherapy???

Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

Your temps are accurate with the behind the ear thing? I've never heard of that! Hmmmm, food for thought!

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Specializes in NICU- now learning OR!.

You are not using humidity on micropreemies?!?!?

How tiny are we talking here? Our micropreemies are on a 2 week schedule of humidity that is slowly weaned down (on avg. from 70% on DOL 0 to 30% at 2 wks and then off)

It could also be the photo lights...our micros are in giraffe isolettes which have a different photo spotlight than traditional photo lights (it was just in this months NANN magazine...they are "halide" ???? can't remember but they are not supposed to burn)

All our our micros get a full body Aquaphor treatment after all lines, probes, etc. are placed. This is for first couple of days of life only.

Jenny

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You may have to adjust the Servo temp downward with the probe placement behind the ear, but it works pretty well. Once the skin has keratinized, and the Aquaphor treatment stopped, we place the probe on the trunk with a temp probe cover.

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You are not using humidity on micropreemies?!?!?

How tiny are we talking here?

Jenny

We are talking 22-23 weeks and an occasional 21 weeker thrown in just for kicks. We do not use humidity, we use Aquaphor q6h x14 days. It serves the same purpose as humidity does, which is to decrease insensible water loss,until the skin is keratinized.It also helps to keep things that could cause skin tears from sticking to the skin.

We used to use humidity, but it has probably been at least 10 years ago, and possibly more since we have done this. We have practiced agressive resuscitation of 23 weekers for at least that long.We utilize Drager warmers, and they are kept on them for quite a while. This practice may differ from what you do in your unit, but there will be variations in clinical practice from unit to unit depending on the neonatologists that are managing them.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

We use the humidy not only for skin things, but for temp control, which correlates in with water loss. It is interesting how things are done so different in other areas of the country, and really, none are wrong.

The ISC behind the ear kind of throws me...you aren't supposed to put the probe over a bony area and over the liver is one of the best indicators of core temp.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

All I can say is thank God for whoever invented the Giraffe Omnibed, and our CUE who has managed to get us a total of 8. I can't remember the last time a kid

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack thread... carry on!

Stevern21

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU.
You shouldn't use anything petroleum based under phototherapy or a radiant warmer. You are frying the baby! (unless you use the blue lights which I understand are cool).

I agree that it sounds more like a reaction to the adhesive. On micros we use medipore between the adesives and the baby.(The exception is IVs or PICC dressings) We don't use bandages, but wrap with a small bit of gauze and tape that.

Aquaphor is a water based prodcut.

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aquaphor is a water based prodcut.

:confused:

aquafor® healing ointment from eucerin®

ingredients:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

active ingredients: petrolatum

inactive ingredients: mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin, bisabolol

warnings:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

keep out of reach of children. for external use only. avoid contact with eyes. not to be applied over third degree burns, deep or puncture wounds or lacerations. if conditions does not improve within seven days consult a physician.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU.
:confused:

aquafor® healing ointment from eucerin®

ingredients:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

active ingredients: petrolatum

inactive ingredients: mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin, bisabolol

warnings:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

keep out of reach of children. for external use only. avoid contact with eyes. not to be applied over third degree burns, deep or puncture wounds or lacerations. if conditions does not improve within seven days consult a physician.

interesting! i'll have to do some investigating, i've been told the product we use is water based, though it is called aquaphor.

thanks for pointing that out to me. doh! :uhoh21:

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All I can say is thank God for whoever invented the Giraffe Omnibed, and our CUE who has managed to get us a total of 8. I can't remember the last time a kid

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack thread... carry on!

Stevern21

I'll second that! We just got two more, giving us a total of 10. We only use radaint warmers for big, vented kids. Anyone under 30 weeks goes in a 65%humidified isolette. A 23 ish weeker that can't stay warm can go up to 100%. Like a little jungle in there!

Back on track, the only pt we have used Aquaphor on was a harlequin ichthyosis. That and 100% humidity.

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