Sue Lamburne
Southmead Hospital, United Kingdom
Title: An Assessment tool for infants requiring continuous positive airway pressure via Nasal CPAP devices and Nasal high Flow devices
Biography
Biography: Sue Lamburne
Abstract
Nasal CPAP devices have the potential to cause tissue break down if used incorrectly. In an effort to prevent nasal scaring an assessment tool was implemented within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Southmead Hospital ,Bristol,UK in 2008. The assessment tool has since been updated and now includes babies who receive Nasal High Flow and babies receiving Nasal CPAP. On an hourly basis the infants nares are scored and the score is documented on the Infants intensive care record chart. This unique visual assessment tool is a simlpe staging system that when used together with the nCPAP care plan/competency and the nasal High flow competency serves as a strategy for prevention and treatment to this iatrogenic and cutaneous event. Following an extensive and scrutinized literature search involving PubMed and CINHAL this Assessment tool has been published in peer review Journals relating to the care of the neonate. The author is currently assisting managed neonatal networks within England in implementing this assessment tool through presentations at conferences and in attending individual neonatal units to support senior nurses in implementing this work.