Application of Heated Disposable Blanket in Preventing Neonatal Hypothermia During Transportation

Joint Conference on Nursing, Diabetes & Medical Case Report

October 28-29, 2021 | Webinar

Wing Yi Kaness Ching

St. Paulâ??s Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Neonatal hypothermia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Despite routine interventions, a temperature drop was noted between time of birth and admission, and the risk increased with longer transport duration. This project aimed to examine the application of instant heated disposable blanket in preventing hypothermia during transport in a maternity unit. Following a six-month pilot, a post-test which included 747 neonates was carried out from September 2019 to February 2020. Temperature was taken rectally upon admission and maternal satisfaction was surveyed the day after. Results showed that 81% neonates attained 36.5oC, representing 24% increase from the pre-test. Proportion of mild hypothermia decreased from 28% to 17%, while moderate hypothermia decreased from 15% to 2%. The mean temperature rose from 36.1oC to 36.7oC and proportion of mothers who rated ‘satisfactory’ increased from 76% to 92%. There were no cases of hyperthermia or dermal irritation. The blanket helped wean neonates from incubator care and promoted maternal bonding. It is preferred to other devices for several reasons: fully mobile, does not disrupt infection control, does not require power supply, long shelf life, compact packaging, minimal operating cost. It could be a cost-effective thermal solution not only in hospitals but also during inter-hospital transfer for critically ill neonates. It would be beneficial to explore products with longer heat duration for premature neonates who have difficulty in reserving heat during incubator care, maternal bonding, or breastfeeding. Limitations identified were related to its non-reusable nature and responsible product disposition process was written in the procedure.

Biography :

Wing Yi Kaness Ching has been working as a registered nurse and midwife for over ten years. She earned her degree of Master of Nursing (Public Health) in 2015 from the University of Hong Kong and degree of Juris Doctor from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2019. She is the Deputy In-Charge of the maternity ward in St. Paul’s Hospital. She has participated in several international nursing research congresses and has been conducting quality improvement projects in maternity care.