Do you use warmer beds?

Specialties NICU

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I was just reading a post in the ER thread and thought, "Hmmm.. we hardly use warmer beds anymore." Do you?

All of our preemies are directly admitted into an isolette.It's been years since we've had a micro out in the open like that, all covered in plastic wrap.:lol2: We might use one for a term kid that's vented if all our Giraffes are being used, but we move them ASAP. We also use them for procedures on term kids or kids in cribs.

Specializes in NICU.

Isn't it funny how some units seem to have tons of money, and others none? It seems like units have either ALL Giraffes or nada. Well, a couple of us here have a handful of the Giraffes but that's it. Like I said, we only have one Omnibed (the one that converts from a warmer to an isolette) and four regular Giraffes (isolette only).

Did you know that the Omnibeds are about $35,000 each? The regular Giraffes are half of that, about $17,000 I believe the rep said a couple years back when we got ours. I calculated it out...if we were to go to ALL Omnibeds (which would work because the big kids could use them as warmers and the little ones as isolettes) it would cost my unit over 1.5 million dollars. :uhoh21:

Specializes in NICU.
Isn't it funny how some units seem to have tons of money, and others none? It seems like units have either ALL Giraffes or nada. Well, a couple of us here have a handful of the Giraffes but that's it. Like I said, we only have one Omnibed (the one that converts from a warmer to an isolette) and four regular Giraffes (isolette only).

Did you know that the Omnibeds are about $35,000 each? The regular Giraffes are half of that, about $17,000 I believe the rep said a couple years back when we got ours. I calculated it out...if we were to go to ALL Omnibeds (which would work because the big kids could use them as warmers and the little ones as isolettes) it would cost my unit over 1.5 million dollars. :uhoh21:

Yeah that's huge money for those beds, wow. We're lucky that we have nice things, but we definitely don't have a ton of money ...... we are SO over-crowded. Our unit is full all the time, we're a major referral center, yet our unit is so cramped we don't have any private rooms and parents hardly have any space to be comfortable and stay with their baby. So while we do have some money (thanks to fundraisers and the great community support), there is still a lot we lack in.

I know we don't have a wealthy pt population, but the hospital throws us a bone every now and again and we get some grant grant money.I'm sure some of the 800 admissions a year we get do actually pay us too. (I'm joking!)

We have great new beds, but the phototherapy lights are crap. We have new IV pumps, but the paint is peeling off the walls.It's not Shangri La, but we try to make it that way.

Specializes in NICU- now learning OR!.

We use radiant warmers for admissions and vented kids (term to micros). We move up to isolettes as they are more stable and need less intervention, and as they get bigger. They move to open crib when they can maintain temp (duh, I guess that one's obvious!). The big kids will go straight from warmer (for admission) to crib after a few hours and when they're stable.

Same here, except for the micros - they go straight to a giraffe with humidity. We get a lot of kids through for observation and they all go on a warmer - and anyone else who needs to be watched a little closer.

Jenny

It may sound mean, but I so grateful when we have a term kid thats NPO and in an isolette for resp obs. Cuts down on the noise some. when they start screaming for food. :lol2:

Specializes in NICU.
It may sound mean, but I so grateful when we have a term kid thats NPO and in an isolette for resp obs. Cuts down on the noise some. when they start screaming for food. :lol2:

LOL! Yeah, there are times we'll put a baby in an isolette and others will come up and thank you for doing it because now there's some peace and quiet!!!

If we had all Omnibeds, that would be great. We'd use the isolette feature for big term kids, too, especially the ones in PPHN because then it would be nice and quiet with white noise for them instead of all the craziness they have to hear on the open warmers. Those foam ear muffs don't do much, they only go up to like 9 decibels or something...

Specializes in NICU.

We have a hospitalist who orders an isolette for loud babies who would normally be in a crib. He considers them disruptive to the other sicker babies. It does reduce the stress level!

Specializes in PICU, ICU, Transplant, Trauma, Surgical.

For admissions, we put micropreemies in Giraffes (these are wonderful!), for bigger kids they go in the radiant warmer until they are fully assessed, then usually go right into an isolette. Sometimes the bigger kids will stay in the radiant warmers for a few days if they are too unstable to be transferred (pissy and vented, chest tube, etc.).

We use warmer beds all the time...little babies, big babies, transport on them and everthing (even give humidity) and yes our babies stay warm! The key is to understand the principles and goals of warming. It can be done with isolettes or warmerbeds. I jsut find working with warmers easier.

We use warmer beds all the time...little babies, big babies, transport on them and everthing (even give humidity) and yes our babies stay warm! The key is to understand the principles and goals of warming. It can be done with isolettes or warmerbeds. I jsut find working with warmers easier.

How do you decrease noise and light stimulation for babies on warmers?

Specializes in NICU.

We use the Drager beds, the gel bed and the regular to admit. Then transfer to an isolette. It's a real pain, but that is our protocol.

I was wondering, where do you work? When I worked in NC, that was our policy too, using those same beds.

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