Premature neonates require assisted heating devices for thermoregulation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC).
This quality improvement project’s goal was to reduce the hypothermia rate in very low birth-weight (VLBW) neonates by replacing cloth blanket/towels with a plastic drape during PICC placement.
The FOCUS-PDSA method was used to implement the intervention (plastic drape) over 3 months, during 58 PICC procedures in a level 3 NICU.
Post-PICC hypothermia rates were significantly lower for the intervention group than for the concurrent cloth cohort (P = .004).
A plastic drape shows promise in improving nursing practice by providing improved thermoregulation for premature neonates during PICC placement.
Authors: Huong (Kelle) T. Phan, DNP, RN, NNP-BC; Teresa M. McIntyre, PhD, MA, MEd, FEHPS
Correspondence: Huong (Kelle) T. Phan, DNP, RN, NNP-BC, University of Houston, 14000 University Blvd, Sugar Land, TX 77479 (khphan@uh.edu).
