oral care

[spacey]

Since the disappearance of VAP-guard ...... what are other units using for oral care?

It would be great to make a survey -- we are sort of not doing anything but we are considering:

(a) Normal Saline

(b) Sterile Water

© Breast Milk -- for those babies whose moms are pumping.

None of the products being used in PICU have been tested on neonates -- so we have ruled those out. Thoughts? ......

[nicu/nurse]

We have kits made per our NICU's protocol. Right now we are using untreated petite applicator swabs and wetting them with either sterile water or breast milk (if available). The kids are made by Trademark Medical. They have really helped our units compliance. Good luck!

http://trademarkmedical.com/pro/pro-patient-oralcareswabs.html

[nicu/nurse]

We use sterile water or breastmilk. We are looking into Biotene. We have an oral care kit. It has really helped with compliance.

http://trademarkmedical.com/pro/pro-critical-oralkits.html

[dawnebeth]

I just asked this recently of our nurse practitioner--she said water on a cotton tipped applicator or gauze 2x2 is good.