Summary The recommended dose of Syntocinon® used for uterine contraction at Caesarean section is 5 units intravenously, given slowly. We conducted a survey of the use of Syntocinon at Caesarean section among 240 lead obstetric anaesthetists in the UK in 2001 and found that 155 (87%) of the 179 (75%) respondents gave 10 units, 77 of them (50%) by rapid bolus. The risks of Syntocinon, especially given by rapid injection, were highlighted in the report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the UK (1997–99), which was published at the end of 2001, and so the survey was repeated in 2002. Of the 256 forms sent, 198 completed replies were returned (77%); these indicated a dramatic change of practice: only 30 (15%) now gave 10 units and only 7 of these (23%) by a rapid injection. One hundred and sixty‐seven respondents to the second survey (84%) stated they had changed their practice and 159 of these (95%) gave the Confidential Enquiries report as the main reason for change. These results highlight the importance of the Confidential Enquiries as a means of improving practice.
The NeuroNICU-admitted newborns with or at risk of brain injury comprise a high percentage of NICU volume; 38% had primary neurologic diagnoses, whereas 62% had medical diagnoses. We found many opportunities to provide brain focused intensive care, impacting a substantial proportion of newborns in our NICU.
A wide range of toxic chemicals have been found in the umbilical cord blood of newborns, indicating the potential for health risks from chemical exposure that begin in utero. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting may also have potential chemical exposures that create health risks. Given the extreme vulnerability of this patient population, it is critical to minimize unnecessary hazardous chemicals. Neonatal intensive care unit nurses have an important role to play in making the NICU as safe as possible for their patients and themselves. This article will focus on the human health effects of several chemical exposures commonly found in the NICU for which nurses can help to eliminate or select safer alternatives: (1) diethylhexyl phthalates (a plasticizer commonly found in intravenous tubing/bags and other products); (2) bisphenol A (commonly found in the lining of baby formula cans); (3) personal care products used in the NICU; (4) cleaning, sterilants, and disinfectants; and (5) mercury. A tool for assessing environmental health risks will be presented and associated intervention options including purchasing policies; hospital-wide chemical policies; and development of institutional infrastructures, such as Green Teams, to address NICU and hospital-wide environmental health concerns. Nursing's evolving role in environmental health will be reviewed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.