Sodium bicarb for mucositis

[colamom803]

I work on an inpatient oncology unit and we would like to provide sodium bicarb and salt to make an oral rinse for patients with mucositis. A typical bicarb box is not going to pass infection control standards - cardboard, multi use, etc. I would love to get like single packets to empty into a cup and add water. I cannot seem to find such a thing. 
 

Has anyone successfully set up a way to distribute salt and bicarb to patients to use as an oral rinse??

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I’ve worked inpatient Onc in a large hospital for many years and believe it or not, we’ve always kept a box in a cabinet and put it in the small sterile cups to distribute for patient use. We’ve had multiple inspections and it hasn’t changed, so I’m assuming it wasn’t flagged as an issue. The only individual packets of salt/bicarb I’m aware of are the ones used for nasal rinses like Neilmed. 

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

This may not help you in the US but here in France we get Bicarb solution in plastic bottles, sterile and ready to use for mothwash.

Not sure if your  hospital can check out if it's available at all in the US? It's called Bicalan and it's manufactured by Aguettant Laboratories in Lyon. Maybe there's a US equivalent?

[StarryEyed, RN]

My hospital pharmacy dispenses pre measured amounts of the powder into our Omni cell (in little plastic containers) which we then mix with a defined amount of sterile water on the unit. We mix one for each patient it’s ordered for, put a pt label with date time made. Good for 24 hrs.