NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (NICU)

EQUIPMENTS FOR NICU

- Equipment and supports should include all that is necessary to resuscitation
and intermediate care areas.
- Supply should be kept close to the patient station so that nurse does not ha to
go away from the neonate unnecessarily and nurses time and skills are u
efficiently.
- There should be servo controlled incubators and open air system for provide
adequate warmth.
- Two-third of the bed strength should be of open care system.
- When every incubators are being used, heat shields used inside the,incubato
would be useful to further decrease the insensible water loses.
- Adequate number of infusion pumps for giving fluid (minimum 2 pint
parenteral nutrition solutions and drugs should be available.
- Infant ventilators capable of giving the pressure ventilation and various
cardiopulmonary monitor.

Equipment required for any neonatal ICU and the quantity required for 6
patient
- Resuscitation set -6
- Open care system 4
- incubators -2
- infusion pumps -12
- +ve pressure ventilators -6
- o2 hoods, 02 analyzers -6
- Heart rate apnea monitors without scope-6
- Phototherapy unit-6
- Electronic weighing scale-12
- Pulse oxygmetres -6
- Transcutaneous PO, and PCO2monitors 2-3.
- Noninvasive B.P. monitors 4-2.
- Invasive RP. monitors 1-2
- ECG monitor without defibrillator -1
- Intracranial pressure monitors -1.

Dis po s a ble Artic le s Re quire d fo r the NICU

IV catheter' IV. sets, bacterial filters, feeding tubes, endotracheal tubes,

suction catheters, three way adopters, umbilical arterial and venous catheters,
syringes, needles ventilator tubing’s, trocar and canula, pressure transducers for
invasive blood pressure
LABORATORY FOR NICU

- A micro chemistry laboratory attached to the unit and providing round the
clock service, in preferable through under indian conditions, this may not be
mandatory.
- This should be well-equipped to provide quick and reliable hematocrit, blood
glucose and total serum bilirubin.
- Facilities for total leukocytes counts and microscopic examination of peripheral
blood films for evidence of infection.
- Equipment for measure of specific gravity of urine and calcium should be
available.
- House X-ray machine and an ultrasound machine should be mandatory for
modern day neonatal care units.
 STORE ROOM CONFERENCE ROOM

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DOCUMENTATIONS IN NICU

- The unit should have printed problem oriented stationary for maintaining
records, admission and discharge slips etc.
- Records of all admission should be maintained in a register or on a
computer.
- The information should be analyzed and discussed at least once a month to
improve the effectiveness of the NICU in providing the services.

EDUCATION PROGRAMME AT NICU

- There should be continuing medical education programmes for physicians

and nurses in the form of lecturers, demonstrations and group discussions.
- this should cover important issues like resuscitation, sterilization to
be maintained for critically ill babies, putting in arterial catheters, conducting
exchange transfusion, maintenance of ventilators etc.
- Educational programmes covering the nurses and physician in the community
should be developed.
- There should be regular meetings with the obstetrician to discuss the perinatal
condition and care.
- Individual high risk cases.
- Education and follow up is necessary.