Sugesstions on how to anchor UVC/UAC lines

Specialties NICU

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I need some suggestions on how to secure UVC/ UAC lines for those VLBW babies. My unit is currently using transpore tapes to form a goal post, but they are constantly getting wet from the humidity inside the incubator and thus the goal post is not able to hold them in place or they are either too heavy and always fall towards the groin area. Does anyone do something differently? Thanks

but we anchor them with steri strips. I haven't ever had problems with the getting wet from humidity, however, our UAC/UVC's are usually put in while the baby is in a RW and secured at that time, so they have an opportunity to "set" before going into the isolette with humidity....I don't know if that makes a difference or not. We also use duoderm to secure the "big bubba's" to their abdomen, one under and one over.

Jamie

Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

I know what you mean..when you have those tiny ones in 70% humidity, nothing sticks! We have had some success with steri strips. We will try to at least anchor them on one side....chevron around the line and put the tape to the side. If the kid has really, really bad skin, we will just leave them and be extra careful. We have also used the fancy smancy line holders, but they got really goopy in the high humidity. The big kids we use opsite and tape them to the belly. We don't goal post anymore.

Not a fan of goal posting...just looks like a hook for a sweet little hand to grab and yank out!!! We have been using the very small opsites and making a circle with each, one on each side of the belly, nd then opsiting it. Ours also dont usuallyh go into a isolette with a UAC, and we also dont use humidity.....I think our docs are concerned with bacterial growth..or something.

I've worked in units that have done it both ways and I prefer opsiting to the belly. It seems to hold the lines more secure and I haven't experienced any problems from humidity on the ELBW babies.

Which brings me to a comment you made "lovemyjob" about not adding humidity. There is plenty of information out there that humidity is good for the little ones' skin and helps with insensible water loss. Do you have a unit educator that could look into this? Perhaps you could help and earn some brownie points on your annual eval;) Our "old school" docs are usually willing to change practice if we bring them enough evidence.

Tracy

We use opsites for our UAC/UVC we dont put our babies into isolettes until they pull the lines. They stay on warmers with lines. We dont use hum. in our isolettes either. Our opsites work well. Have never seen one come lose.

Specializes in NICU.

I've seen a couple of docs suture the lines in, and that worked better than anything. After they got the lines in and X-ray confirmation of placement, they'd have us open a sterile fabric band-aid onto the umbilical tray. They'd cut small strip of the sticky part of the band-aid and wrap this around the lines about a centimeter above the insertion site, leaving the ends out like a little flag. They'd suture through the cord and these fabric flags. Both the UVC and UAC would be sutured separately, so when it came time to D/C the lines, they'd just snip the sutures and pull either one or both lines. The remaining sutures would just stay in the umbilical stump and eventually fall off with the rest of the cord. These things never budged.

We use duoderm strips on the belly and transpore tape to make the bridge or goalpost. There was only one time when humidity caused the duoderm to become waterlogged and fall off, and in that case we used pink Hy-tape to anchor the lines down to the belly, still using the bridge or goalpost fashion. We use 70-80% humidity in the isolettes. Even on the warmers, we'll put a plastic hood over the baby and pump humidity inside so we've always got it going on babies under a kilo.

We did try Neotech's Neobridge product. I loved it to pieces but of course we didn't purchase them. It took about 10 seconds to secure the line in place instead of several minutes, and it was much easier to remove one or both lines from this product.

Which brings me to a comment you made "lovemyjob" about not adding humidity. There is plenty of information out there that humidity is good for the little ones' skin and helps with insensible water loss. Do you have a unit educator that could look into this? Perhaps you could help and earn some brownie points on your annual eval;) Our "old school" docs are usually willing to change practice if we bring them enough evidence.

Tracy

Just heard we are going to be purchasing some giraffe beds where it provides humidity but somehow there is not a risk for bacteria...I missed the inservice. Hopefully there will be some changes with the new beds. Thank you for thinking of me!!!

Oh, you're going to love, love, LOVE the Giraffe beds!!!

After I said this I remembered there is one drawback...those darn temp probes! They're a little stiffer than the disposable ones we use on Ohmedas and come loose alot. We played around with it and had pretty good luck positioning Giraffe probes axillary or on the ant. fontanel with the ELBW babies.

Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
I need some suggestions on how to secure UVC/ UAC lines for those VLBW babies. My unit is currently using transpore tapes to form a goal post, but they are constantly getting wet from the humidity inside the incubator and thus the goal post is not able to hold them in place or they are either too heavy and always fall towards the groin area. Does anyone do something differently? Thanks

We also goalpost, but use Hollihesive to anchor it to the abdomen, a strip on each side of the umbilicus. Of course, they are also sutured in by the doc. Babies can't grab them very well if you cover the line with tape at the right spot.;)

Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
Oh, you're going to love, love, LOVE the Giraffe beds!!!

I just started a new job on another NICU and I LOVE the giraffe beds. That's just enough reason to leave my old job...and the Phillips flat screen monitors that are touch-screen are great, too!!;)

Oh, you're going to love, love, LOVE the Giraffe beds!!!

After I said this I remembered there is one drawback...those darn temp probes! They're a little stiffer than the disposable ones we use on Ohmedas and come loose alot. We played around with it and had pretty good luck positioning Giraffe probes axillary or on the ant. fontanel with the ELBW babies.

Anterior fontanel....who would have ever thought!!!!!! It makes perfect sense, considering that population has HUGE fonts!!! We use the probes on the axilla occasionally with our other isolettes (dont know their name, but they are pretty common.) Wow, learned soemthing new!!

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