Does your NICU keep the older chronics?

Humbled_Nurse · Jul 1, 2006

It seems to be rarer these days that we would keep a baby for up to a year since the outcomes and treatments have improved so much, but if we do get a baby that is older and chronic who just isn't progressing we will usually transfer them to a local Children's rehab hospital. In other words the neo's have done all they can. The babies are considered stable, but there comes a time when what's done is done and it is time to move on. We have a childrens hospital that will take these kids. The hospital is a long term/rehab type hospital and they have all sorts of specialties and specialize in these chronic type cases. The baby will get all sorts of eval's from multiple specialists, therapists, nurses, etc.... and they will come up with a reasonable plan and will get the parents very involved in their baby's care so they can get the baby home with the family which is the ultimate goal.

fergus51 · Jul 1, 2006

My oldest nicu patient was 14 months. It was very sad. PICU and Peds wouldn't take him and there was nowhere for him to go really.

prmenrs, RN · Jul 1, 2006

When I worked @ a Level III hospital, we did have "chronics" on occassion. And we kept them for as long as necessary. Usually the neos and rns knew more about them, they needed ICU (or intermediate) level of care, or more surgery was planned.

As always we worked towards discharge!

True chronics like we had years ago w/bronchopulmonary dysplasia are extremely rare. Thank goodness. Now what we have (and fortunately not too often) are GI babies, like gastroschisis, oomphalocele, short gut, diaphragmatic hernias. They need to be on TPN for so long. It's always a challenge to keep up w/their developmental needs.

MA Nurse · Jul 3, 2006

My oldest nicu patient was 14 months. It was very sad. PICU and Peds wouldn't take him and there was nowhere for him to go really.

Fergus51, I sent you a PM about travelling nurses in Ca.

Kim