Lemon swabs for oral care? Opinions, please!`

Specialties NICU

Published

Okay, what's everyone doing as far as lemon swabs are concerned? I recently was engaged in discussion about this with a friend I work with, and I remembered that someone posted something about them actually have the opposite of the intended effect on the oral mucosa. However, having no hard and fast research to back me up, she didn't believe me. :) Does anyone remember us having this conversation a while back? I searched under "oral" and "mouth" and "swab" in this forum and came up with jack. Thanks!

Specializes in NICU.

What's wrong with using sterile water on a 2x2 gauze, and oral suctioning as needed? Why would anyone want to stick a swab with any kind of chemical on it into a neonate's mouth? Breastmilk dipped swabs I can understand though, and wish my unit would consider it.

Specializes in NICU and neonatal transport.

We use gauze with sterile water to wipe over the outside of the mouth, depending on which unit i'm working in, one doesnt use anything else - just the gauze into the mouth, the other uses oral swabs dipped in sterile water or breast milk, depending on many factors.

we do mostly suctioning with sterile water and gauze... like almost everyone else :)

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