Question about "levels" of NICUs

[louloubell1]

Howdy fellow RNs. I am writing a fiction case study for a class presentation, and was wondering if you would enlighten me on something. Are there different "levels" of NICUs? Is there something similar to the trauma classification of a hospital to deliniate a classification for NICUs? I am assuming that there is, only because my last baby, who was born at 32 weeks after an emergency C-section for placenta previa, spent three weeks in the NICU, but he was very stable. The nurses there told us that the sicker babies, the ones requiring ECMO and the like, were flown out to another NICU on the other side of the city. If there are different levels, how are they designated? Where would the very sickest babies go? Thanks in advance for your help!

[directcare4me]

There are levels in the NICU. A level 2 is one that usually doesn't keep babies who need mechanical ventilation. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.) A level 3 is an NICU that can keep ventilated babies and all but the very sickest babies that might require ECMO. It's my understanding that the main (only?) difference in a Level 3 and Level 4 NICU is whether or not ECMO is available. In years past the Level 3 was the highest level; with the development of ECMO they've added Level 4 to designate that. Where I work used to be referred to as a Level 3, now since ECMO came along I hear us referred to as a Level 4.

[prmenrs, RN]

Level 1 = a regular newborn nursery--hard to find any more, most places have the babies w/mom 24/7.

Level 2 = babies who need IVs for antibiotics, babies who need phototherapy, babies who need to be stabilized before being transported to a higher level of care, babies returning from Level 3 or 4 to be cared for before they go home, like feeder grower STABLE premies, sick newborns who are better, but not well enough to go home. Some hospitals do initial assessment and transition for well babies there, then they go to mom.

Level 3 and 4, as previous poster noted.

[louloubell1]

Thanks you guys, that helps a lot!

Lou

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

classification of nicus

http://www.babyzone.com/drnathan/premature/levels.asp

from singapore:

http://www.moh.gov.sg/cmaweb/attachments/publication/neonatal_intensive_care_service_guidelines.pdf