Alcohol for umbilical cord?????

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Hello! I will be sitting for my nursing school comprehensive exit exam in two weeks and then hopefully my boards in the summer. I keep getting questions regarding cleaning the umbilical cord with alcohol and we were taught not to use alcohol in school, however, one of the answers in programs like NCLEX 4000 say wipe with alcohol! UGH! For anyone who is taking the "new" NCLEX boards as of April 1st...if you come across a question like this, could you let me know??? Thanks and good luck to all!

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

We were always taught alcohol at my school to do cord care. Gotta love info like this

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I was also taught to always clean cord with alcohol with each diaper change. If you were taught not to use alcohol, then what did you use as alternative?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I'm a student--and a mom of two kids--and that's what all the pregnancy books say to do. Why do you find it odd? It helps dry up the cord and keeps it free of bugs.

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This is what we were taught just this year:

Current research shows no evidence to support the need for alcohol; apparently there are no better or worse outcomes whether it is used or not.

That said, old habits die hard, and alcohol is still used frequently in the mat/NB ward. With patient teaching, you can tell the parents that they can get some and use it if they like, but if they don't want to, that will be fine as well. The main thing is to observe the site and keep it clean and dry.

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Im not a nursing student yet, but I have 2 kids. Had my first in '06 and my second in '09. Before being discharged both times, I was told by the nurses to not do anything to the cord. They said to not even get it wet and to fold the diaper under the cord. So basically they told me not to do anything to the cord except keep it dry. No alcohol, no nothing.

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This is what we were taught just this year:

Current research shows no evidence to support the need for alcohol; apparently there are no better or worse outcomes whether it is used or not.

That said, old habits die hard, and alcohol is still used frequently in the mat/NB ward. With patient teaching, you can tell the parents that they can get some and use it if they like, but if they don't want to, that will be fine as well. The main thing is to observe the site and keep it clean and dry.

Yup, this is what the nurses tell mothers upon discharge. Nothing about alcohol or an alternative to it. Just keep it dry.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

With my 3 sons all born in 2001 or prior I was instructed to use Alcohol. With my daughter born in 2007 I was told not to and they had put blue stuff on her cord. In my Maternity class that I am in right now, they also have said not to use alcohol. Is the program you were using the most current? Things change so much all the time it's very hard to know what is right and what is wrong.

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My book for OB/Peds says to use the appropriate agent according to facility policy. It gives alcohol as an option, but also says triple dye, or an antimicrobial agent).

I'd have to go back through my notes to see what my teacher said, but it's in the units we've already done and my notebook is bursting at the seams with notes :D

Cheryl

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

The triple dye is the one they used on my daughter in 2007. I guess that hospital still uses it, I am doing my Peds clinicals there, but the other hospital where we are doing our OB clinicals just says clean it with soap and water and let it air dry and nothing extra is needed.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

We were taught to use just a cloth with water to clean the cord if needed and to then keep it dry.

If for your exams they say to use alcohol, then by all means choose that answer. Sometimes you have to pick the answer that whatever text or review program wants, which is both annoying and unfortunate, but it is what it is. However, I hardly think that getting this one answer wrong on the NCLEX is going to what what makes or breaks you.

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This question came up on the Indiana State University (distant learning program) LVN/LPN to BSN challenge exams. The answer per the challenge book and the exam, was to use alcohol. However, in my nursing studies before this program, we were taught to do nothing other than keep the cord dry. It may be that things have changed and evidence based nursing has caused a change in what I was taught.

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