title: Variations in incubator temperature and humidity management: a survey of current practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and assess routine procedures and practices for incubator temperature and humidity management in France in 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was sent to all the 186 neonatal care units in France.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The questionnaire return rate was 86%. Seventy-five per cent of the units preferred skin servo-control to air temperature control in routine practice. Air temperature control was mainly used for infants with a gestational age of more than 28 weeks and aged over 7 days of life. In general, thermal management decisions did not depend on the infant's age but were based on a protocol applied specifically by each unit. All units humidified the incubator air, but there was a large difference between the lowest and highest reported humidity values (45% and 100% assumed to be a maximal value, respectively). More than 65% of the units used a fixed humidity value, rather than a variable, protocol-derived value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed large variations in incubator temperature and humidity management approaches from one neonatal care unit to another. There is a need for more evidence to better inform practice. A task force should be formed to guide clinical practice.
authors: Médecine Néonatale et Réanimation Pédiatrique Polyvalente, CHU Amiens, France.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Deguines
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Décima
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Pelletier
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Dégrugilliers
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Ghyselen
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Tourneux
mesh_terms: D005602:France; D005865:Gestational Age; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007186:Incubators, Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013696:Temperature