The nurse is caring for a premature infant who needs an IV access restarted. What action should the nurse take when using adhesive tape?

• A. Remove adhesives with water, mineral oil, or petrolatum.
• B. Avoid using tape and adhesives until skin is more mature.
• C. Use scissors carefully to remove tape instead of pulling tape off.
• D. Employ solvents to remove adhesives instead of pulling on skin.

Answer: (A)

Fragile preterm skin is easily damaged by adhesives, so the goal is to minimize trauma during any tape removal. The best approach is to loosen or remove the adhesive with gentle, non-irritating moisture. Using a small amount of water, mineral oil, or petrolatum helps soften the adhesive and allows the tape to be lifted away with minimal pulling on the skin. This preserves the skin’s protective barrier, reduces the risk of skin stripping and irritation, and supports safer management of the IV site as you resecure or reinsert a line.

Tearing or pulling tape directly can cause skin trauma, and using scissors near the skin or applying solvents can injure or irritate the delicate neonatal skin. Those methods increase the chance of skin breakdown and infection and aren’t recommended. After removal, assess the skin for any signs of damage and proceed with a gentle securing method appropriate for the infant’s skin condition.