A comparative study of sanitary napkins and absorbent nappy pads for urine output measurement in neonates.
OBJECTIVE
To compare sanitary napkins and absorbent nappy pads (ANP) for urine output (UO) measurement.


METHODS
Phase 1: Freshly passed neonatal urine (5, 10 and 15 mL) was poured onto preweighed sanitary napkins or ANP, which were juxtaposed to the genital area of manikins placed in incubators/warmers and weighed at (1/2), 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 hr. Outcome was percentage weight change from baseline. Phase 2: Five very low birth weight boys in incubators had UO measurement by test tubes. A sanitary napkin or ANP was co-applied with the test tube for 4 h each. Urine collected in the test tube was measured and poured on the device, which was reapplied. Weight and wetness were checked.


RESULTS
Phase 1: Mean urine loss was 8.35, 13.8, 20.1, 25.2, 33.1, 38.7 and 42.6% at (1/2), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h, respectively (repeated measures ANOVA [RM-ANOVA], p < 0.001). Loss was higher with ANP than sanitary napkins (32.1% vs. 13.4%, two-way RM-ANOVA, p = 0.001). There was less loss in incubators versus radiant warmers at 6 h (p = 0.09). Phase 2: There was 12.1 and 26% deficit with sanitary napkin and ANP, respectively. Wetness was felt in one and four cases, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Urinary losses are less from sanitary napkins than ANPs.
Dutta
Sourabh
S
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. sourabhdutta@yahoo.co.in
Saini
Shiv Sajan
SS
Narang
Anil
A
D041342:Absorbent Pads; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D014556:Urine; D014835:Volatilization