Use of linens in NICU

Gem1210390 · Apr 24, 2012

In our unit (around 60 beds) we have been taking extra measures to prevent the spread of infection due to recent MRSA infections. We currently have our own linen and wash it ourselves using an approved sanitizing washer and dryer. Some nurses are suggesting we do away with our blankets and use hospital provided linen. We would still continue to use and wash our own developmental aids. Has anyone else experienced this, and did it make a difference? What are your linen practices in your NICUs? We do change isolettes weekly and usually linens every 24 hours if patients are stable. Thanks!

I work in the uk in a nicu. We change our babies linen twice daily. We use giraffe isolettes which are changed every 14 days and other brand of isolettes are changed every 7 days. Ventilators are changed every 7 days. If babies are on cpap the circuit is changed every 7 days and filter every 3 days. All line extensions are changed 48 hourly I I've infusion set are changed every infusion changed which is 24 hourly. all our babies diapers are changed using prewarmed sterile water. All lines are accessed using sterile equipment. We have only had one case of mrsa in 12 months. I hope this give you some info although might be different for you in america

LnmoonRN · Apr 24, 2012

Thank Gem for the reply. We also change our respiratory equipment every week, and change our fluids using sterile technique. All of our MRSA patients are asymptomatic, just testing positive with nasal swabs. I'm wanting specific information as to if other units are laundering their own linens or using the hospital provided ones. Thanks!

Gem1210390 · Apr 24, 2012

We use hospital washed linen for our babies. We do have blankets which are donated which we wash on the unit.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Apr 24, 2012

Linens get washed by the hospital, that being said, we also use linen that the parents provide us. They are thinking of doing away with that as home washers do not get hot enough to kill hospital bugs. I'd hate to see this as that is sometimes one of the only things that parents can do for there babes

We change linen with weights or when soiled. Every bed gets wiped out at that time with the cleaning wipes (those ones in the red top cannister). We also wipe down each bed spot every shift. Or ID never said anything about linens being a source for MRSA, they are more worried about things like acinetobacter, etc. Another thing we have looked at are artificial nails on moms...they are one of the top spreaders of MRSA. We tell moms that they should have them taken off and we have them wear gloves with the micronates especially. We had cultured the nails of moms whose little ones had MRSA and they tested positive from the artificial nails. Makes sense since we can't wear them either.

Right now we have 4 MRSA cases...2 mom's have artificial nails and 2 went to OR for the same procedure on the same day.

iyqyqr · Apr 25, 2012

In our unit (around 60 beds) we have been taking extra measures to prevent the spread of infection due to recent MRSA infections. We currently have our own linen and wash it ourselves using an approved sanitizing washer and dryer. Some nurses are suggesting we do away with our blankets and use hospital provided linen. We would still continue to use and wash our own developmental aids. Has anyone else experienced this, and did it make a difference? What are your linen practices in your NICUs? We do change isolettes weekly and usually linens every 24 hours if patients are stable. Thanks!

I work in a 58 bed Level III unit and for the past 8 years our patient's sleep on linens that the parents bring in or pretty linens that come from our unit stash. We launder all of these linens on our unit and put 1/3 cup of bleach in the front loading washer for each load. Parents take their items home and launder them there. We change incubators every 14 days, if there are clean ones to change out to. Bed linens are changed when soiled and to the mattress about every 3 days with a partial change daily. We occasionally will have a MRSA breakout, but it can often be traced to an admit from a referral hospital that we missed screening or kids coming back from surgery. No one has ever suggested our linens as the problem. Hope this helps.

Luckyyou, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2012

We use hospital provided linen that is changed with every bath and PRN when soiled. Ends up being about every 2-3 days for the big kids and closer to a week for the little squids. Giraffes are changed weekly. Our developmental positioning stuff is laundered on unit or it would get lost. All lines are changed q24 hours.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Jun 8, 2012

Today, our ID came down and said no more outside linens, parents can provide onesies and sleepers, no hats or booties as those fall on the floor, only those pink and blue hospital hats, people may not be putting those that fell in the dirty clothes bag. Also, no outside hats, blankets or bedcovers from our volunteers We just had an outbreak of MRSA in the last week. Sucks. Also, no more community swings and bouncy seats unless we can get laundry to do the insides...yeah, like that is gonna happen, they ruined all our halo snuggies! Ugh.