We don't keep real sick kiddos at my hosptial, most get shipped. We just had a set of discorndinant (?sp) twins, twin A 6+ lbs, Twin B 3+ lbs. Anyway, doing good enuf for us to keep.
Twin B had a gray spell on us - had just had a bili drawn and was about to put her back in the isolette and looked like ****. MD wanted IV, cxr, labs, etc.. including a cath UA while she was on her way in. Our cath kit was too big for her little urethra and we ended up using an 8fr feeding tube (and a the head gear from ER with the magnafier and light they use to check for corneal abraions).
Question: What else can be used for a cath UA when they are soooo tiny? Any other suggestions?
BTW, got the IV in first try - not bad for one of those lucky L&D nurses that only have to put IVs in healthy in young women.
LaNICUnurse
83 Posts
We use 3.5 fr feeding tubes. Our doc has them specially ordered for our gavage feedings. So, with our micro-premies, we use them for UA, and caths.