Mrs. Kaushiki Kapoor

By Dagan Bruemmer

Mrs. Kapoor has a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Azusa Pacific University and a Masters of Science in Nursing Education from California State University Dominguez Hills. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, an honor society for nursing. She has previoulsy instructed at Fresno City College, Baskersfield College and Evergreen Valley College. Mrs. Kapoor began her nursing career as a Medical Surgical Nurse at Riverside County Regional Medical Center, later transitioning to the stroke unit at St. Agnes Medical Center. She also worked as an Intensive Care Unit Nurse at Lompoc Valley Medical Center. She has been a professional speaker at CSUDH healthcare seminars, motivating high school students to pursue the path of nursing. She has been a professional analyzer for test modules designed for vocational nusring students at Wonderlic Inc. In her free time, Mrs. Kapoor tutors ADN, LVN and BSN students for NCLEX.Her hobbies include reading research articles on nursing practice, traveling to different places and bowling. She enjoys spending time with her family and watching old Bollywood movies.

“If you give a man a fish, he will have a single meal. If you teach him how to fish, he will eatall his life”

Kwan-Tzu

Baby Powder: Why is it so dangerous?

 By Jenny Nguyen, CSM SN

The most commonly used item with babies to keep dry and free from rash are baby powders. As new studies are starting to show, the use of baby powders are becoming more dangerous for babies when inhaled. From the American Cancer Society, the common ingredient in most baby powders is talcum powder. Talcum powder is made from talc, a mineral made up mainly of the elements magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. The powder absorbs moisture and helps to reduce friction, making it useful for keeping the skin dry and prevent diaper rash. This mineral is also commonly found in cosmetic products. In their natural form, some talc contains asbestos, known to cause lung cancers when inhaled. The most concern with the connection of talcum powder and cancer is focused on long-term inhalation exposure is a higher risk for lung cancer and women applying it regularly in the genital area are at higher risk for ovarian cancer. Although the results are not definitive, the research continues as talcum powder is being produce in various factories in the world. Another website, babycenter.com, with a pediatrician point of view has also recommended against the use of baby powder due to the risk of respiratory problems. These small particles are easily inhaled and irritate the baby’s lungs, especially if the baby is at high risk for respiratory illness, such as premature babies, babies with congenital heart disease, and babies who have had RSV or frequent respiratory illness. Pediatrician Jennifer Lowry suggests to use the powder sparingly and to be kept away from the baby’s.  This is to prevent skin irritation, and powder build up by cleaning any accumulation of the powder; especially in the folds of the baby’s skin. According to Medline Plus, the most common sign and symptom with excessive use of talcum powder is breathing. The markets  have talc-free baby powder for safe use but are advised to also use sparingly as the small particles can still enter the baby’s lungs.

Reference

Heller, J. (2014, January 20). Talcum powder poisoning: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (D.

Zieve, Ed.). Retrieved March 2, 2015, from

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002719.htm

Lowry, J. (2014, June 1). Is it safe to use baby powder on my baby? | BabyCenter. Retrieved March 2,

2015, from http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-use-baby-powder-on-my-baby_1519559.bc

Talcum Powder and Cancer. (2014, November 21). Retrieved March 2, 2015, from

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/talcum-powder-and-cancer

                       

 And our journey begins…

We have finally concluded our first semester. One semester down and three more to go.  J J J Through the course of this semester, we have learned how to provide assistance to patients with their activities of daily living (e.g. bathing, dressing, feeding), to learning how to give medications. (REMEMBER  EVERY NURSE… Must follow the Six Basic Rights!)  Right person, Right medication (know the side effects, and ask about patient’s allergies!),  Right dose, Right time, Right route, Right Documentation J  It has not been a smooth sailing ride but all our instructors, and having our group stick together helped us survive this (first) journey. All in all, it has been a roller coaster ride with ups and downs, but we must say that we considered this a learning opportunity that will help us become better, especially when it comes to patient care. And, our group agrees... that whatever happens is BX, stays in BX !!.J J

And Never Ever Forget Maslow