Equipment in the NICU
Posted on: February 10, 2011
In the NICU of the hospital there is a lot of equipment used to help in the treatment of the infants in neonatal care. You are probably wondering what some of this equipment is and what it is used for. Here are some of the common types of equipment used in the NICU, and what they are generally used for.
Bili lights – used to treat jaundice or yellowing of the skin
Blood Pressure Monitor – A blood pressure monitor attached to the infant’s arm or leg that checks blood pressure regularly
Cardiopulmonary Monitor – This machine tracks the infants breathing and heart rate. If either one is abnormal an alarm will sound to alert nurses and doctors.
Central Line – A line inserted into a vein usually into the arm and then threaded from there to a larger vein near the heart. This line is able to deliver medicines and nutritional solutions.
Incubator – A clear plastic box where infants are placed in protection from germs and noise, and to keep warm.
Mechanical Ventilator – A machine that delivers air to an infant’s lungs. When an infant is extremely ill it is put on mechanical ventilation where the mechanical ventilator breathes for them to allow their lungs to recover. It can be programmed to regulate the amount of oxygen, air pressure and number of breaths per minute.
Oxygen Hood– A clear plastic hood that supplies oxygen to infants who can breathe on their own but need extra ogygen.
Pulse Oximeter – A u-shaped device wrapped around the infants foot that uses a light sensor to detect how much oxygen is in the infant’s blood
The World of Neonatal Care 
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