Old wives tales

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Jun 19, 2015

We have a fairly substantial number of Amish children at our hospital. (Indiana has a large Amish population and we treat their children with congenital heart disease and hemophilia - as well as the usual stuff, RSV and the like)

They are HUGE int folk remedies. They also have very low health literacy and only an 8th grade education which is very weak in the sciences. So, if their folk remedy is harmless, we just let it go. (I'm thinking a quarter taped to an easily reducible umbilical hernia.) If it is important to the child's recovery (the liberal use of cornstarch as a diaper rash treatment in a kid with asthma) we educate and do our best. Even if they comply while hospitalized, we're fairly certain they will go back to the old remedies once discharged. They are, on the whole, compliant with standard treatments and meds - Lasix for the cardiac patients for example.

SDALPN · Jun 19, 2015

I was also told that if the kid has a rash to let them sit in the sun for a while. They said it will even out the rash on the skin so it goes away. I'm thinking it just makes them sunburned and the redness hides the rash a little. Some of that "advice" can cause a lot of harm.

They know it all and fail to realize how little they really know. And they don't try to better themselves which makes it worse.

caliotter3 · Jun 19, 2015

What stands out in my memory, (as much as it does), was one client from another country, who started talking some weird stuff akin to ghosts in the apartment or some such, don't quite remember the details. Only remember that her talk did not directly involve care for her child, and for some reason, I bent over backward to appear that I was taking her statements seriously. No challenges from me on that one! I had a bad enough time with her concerning all the other stuff that was/was not being accomplished according to the care plan. I felt there was no way I was going to expend energy arguing with her over something that did not concern caring for her child.

Nibbles1 · Jun 20, 2015

I was working in the ED when a lady brought her 9 year old daughter in. Mom was screaming saying her daughter had died. We all rush to the girl. Sats 100% B/P 96/60 Respiration 16 Temp 99.1 no pain reported. So we start asking a lot of questions. The mom says she brought her daughter back to life by pouring rubbing alcohol on her. She told us that her daughter had bronchitis a few days before. Mom hadn't been to get medication filled yet. The mother had also called the school prior to arriving at the ED. We had students crying and teachers asking questions. The doctor finally came out and spoke to the girl's teacher that she wasn't dead nor had she died. To this day, I don't think any of us know what the hell that mother was on.

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · Jun 20, 2015

I have had many parents put table sugar on abrasions to get them to stop bleeding. Not fun trying to get the sugar off to clean the wound.

Had a grandma put diaper rash cream on a knee laceration...again not fun for the patient to get irrigated as the cream made it impossible for us to use LET to numb the site.

Worst one was a child with burns from fry oil who the family covered in tooth paste....ðŸ˜ž

smartnurse1982 · Jun 20, 2015

I have had many parents put table sugar on abrasions to get them to stop bleeding. Not fun trying to get the sugar off to clean the wound.
Had a grandma put diaper rash cream on a knee laceration...again not fun for the patient to get irrigated as the cream made it impossible for us to use LET to numb the site.
Worst one was a child with burns from fry oil who the family covered in tooth paste....ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½

I have heard of diaper rash ointment being used around red gt stoma areas.

Actually,the Dr ordered the diaper rash ointment be used.

SDALPN · Jun 20, 2015

I have heard of diaper rash ointment being used around red gt stoma areas.
Actually,the Dr ordered the diaper rash ointment be used.

I've seen that and even Pepto bismol used. Makes sense though.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jun 20, 2015

I have heard of diaper rash ointment being used around red gt stoma areas.
Actually,the Dr ordered the diaper rash ointment be used.

Zinc oxide (what makes diaper rash ointment white) is a healing skin protectant. You don't put it on an abrasion or cut but it's effective for early granulation or irritation at a stoma site. Not an old wives tale.

Maalox, Milk of Magnesia, pepto bismol have similar protectant qualities so are also effective for stoma irritation and moist rashes.

SDALPN · Jun 20, 2015

Zinc oxide (what makes diaper rash ointment white) is a healing skin protectant. You don't put it on an abrasion or cut but it's effective for early granulation or irritation at a stoma site. Not an old wives tale.
Maalox, Milk of Magnesia, pepto bismol have similar protectant qualities so are also effective for stoma irritation and moist rashes.

Agreed. I think she was just mentioning some off label, stuff we don't see often kinda things.

I wish we could write a book for these parents explaining everything. But the book could have a chapter on folk remedies/old wives tales that don't work.

I had one parent who put onions on the windowsill. I think it was to remove germs from the room or something. I can't remember exactly. It didn't hurt anyone, so I didn't bother wasting my energy explaining that one.

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2015

This didn't happen to me, but a friend working in ER in the early 80s who had a patient with main c/o "leaves growing out of my Virginia" (not a typo, that's what the patient called it).

This was an older lady with a prolapsed uterus-apparently she was told inserting a potato would take care of it. Kind of an organic pessary. Then it sprouted...

AlphaM · Jun 20, 2015

Then there was this case recently in the news where this healer lady used oil and prayer to try to resurrect this dead child.

Texas woman arrested in case of attempt to resurrect two-year-old child | Daily Mail Online