Nursing Hx:Share Oldtime Ineffective tx's?

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Recently a few of the "old-timers" and I were gabbing about ineffective treatments that used to be the standard of care for pts.

Such as:

MOM, sugar, and heat lamp therapy for Stage III decubs :eek:

(no wonder they didn't heal.....hmmmmmmm)

What ineffective tx did you used to have to give your patients??

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MOM and a blow dryer will work wonders for perianal excoriation secondary to diarrhea!!!!

but have never heard of it being used on a stage III decub!!!

i'll hafta think about some of the ineffective things....and get back to ya...

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How about the irrigating gi bleeds with icewater til clear, then maalox down the tube, clamp fir 15 min., then repeat........hated that one.:eek:

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How 'bout the old milk and molasses enema for impaction? Glass thermometers, reusable syringes, emesis basins, bedpans, ET tubes, everyrhing was autoclaved and reused, no plastic throwaway stuff like now.

Pappy

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How about alcohol baths for fevers?

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Ummmmmm..........feces enema. Don't know how it could be effective, but it is nasty.

puke.gif

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I think the feces enema was ro reseed the bowel with beneficial bacteria after heavy-duty antibiotics. I have even heard of some docs making pt.s eat feces for the same reason. Of course this was back when we fought saber-tooth tigers to get to work.

Pappy

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When I worked in KS, I got to tour one of the state mental hospitals. They had been doing some restoration and had found stuff stored in the basement many years ago...manacles and rubber sheets and an ECT machine as big as a family size microwave. YUCK!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Those STUPID "donuts" postpartum patients used to sit on for sore episotomies.. ( I was issued one and I swear, it slowed healing time for me)......not only INEFFECTIVE but made matters WORSE in several cases!!!!

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Anyone ever heard of Icthamol? It was a tar type substance we used on Stage IIIs and worse. No it did not work.

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A fellow nurse just was given a phamplet written in 1929 for nurses....How to figure out med doses........First thing we noticed was the chapter on how to dissolve heroin pills so you could inject it.....very detailed........wild little book, makes me glad I live when I live. Don`t think I`d be any good in the "good old days" Like my comforts, I do.......And premixed drugs, too::D

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Last place I worked they were using vinegar bathes under breasts to prevent heat rashes... smelt like a salad bar. Also used meths in between toes to prevent skin breakdowns...to lazy to actually DRY between toes. Bean counting at it's best. Also had to hang bath towels at the ends of beds so they could be used again, and again, and again.

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