Unusual treatments

[nursingaround1]

Here's a few things I've seen:

The Russians insist for gastroenteritis vodka with black pepper. A couple of kids even got out of detention when they found vodka in their rooms, because the parents explained it was medicinal. It turns out this was not just an excuse, but is widely believed. They use vodka for many of their health problems. I've never tested this theory out, but they truly believe it, Who knows?

A grain of sugar in a hard to get out splinter - a Zimbabwean nurse showed me this, and it really worked. The sugar apparently draws in fluid, and the splinter works its way out. Never used it myself, but watched the result when my colleague has. There have been some stories in the papers about the use of sugar lately, so they might have some hard evidence soon.

Fractured clavicles - we had some problems because the Russian parents insisted a middle clavicle fracture should be operated and put back in alignment, while local doctor's said no. Parents still angry despite 3 doctor's recommendations, and flew child home for surgery.

Bedrest - for minor coughs/colds, Russian parents insist on complete rest in bed, and the insist that a temp of 37.0 centigrade is a fever.

Just some of the interesting things I've come across.

[canigraduate]

Husband's Norwegian granny told me to wipe a stye in my eye with a cat's tail and it will be gone in less than a day. I thought she was nuts. BUT IT WORKS.

Cattail or cat's tail? My cat is an A-hole and I get cat's tail in my eye all the time. Hmm, I have never had a stye, either.

[bagladyrn, RN]

Cabbage leaves to reduce engorgement in breastfeeding mothers. Yes, it works.

[canigraduate]

Cabbage leaves to reduce engorgement in breastfeeding mothers. Yes, it works.

That was actually standard practice at one of the hospitals I worked at (in the U.S., in NC).

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

Does this mean that people put raw cabbage leaves in the nursing bra? Is this to dry up the milk? Does it work?

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Does this mean that people put raw cabbage leaves in the nursing bra? Is this to dry up the milk? Does it work?

Cold cooked cabbage leaves in the nursing bra. It relieved the pressure of painful engorgement and helped with letdown

[WellThatsOod]

Does this mean that people put raw cabbage leaves in the nursing bra? Is this to dry up the milk? Does it work?

I've heard it also speeds along drying up when you're ready to finish.

[canigraduate]

Does this mean that people put raw cabbage leaves in the nursing bra? Is this to dry up the milk? Does it work?

That facility used them post partum mostly for formula moms, but they used them raw, straight from the refrigerator.

The cold helped reduce some of the heat and swelling and something in the cabbage leaves helped let down/dry up. There was some kind of study going in there at the time, but I left before reading the write up.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

Also used for arthritis in larger joints such as a knee where you can wrap it around. Onion and brown sugar mixed together and drink the juice as a cough remedy, nettle soup, poitin (irish moonshine) for a lamb not feeding, for a splinter sugar on a sliver of antibacterial soap on the heel of a loaf of bread - it worked. Guiness for patients that were mal nourished.

[PS0812]

Used to be able to tell there was a pseudomonas infection (by smell) on a burn patient before the lab confirmed it.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

Same for trach sites. One whiff and I can tell its pseudomonas.

[No Stars In My Eyes]

I'm still boggled by the cooked, cold cabbage in the bra.....I know it's not sauerkraut, but that's what I imagined. What a smell that would be! Like wearing garlic in a pouch of flannel; what's that called? assafetida? Soooo pungent!!!

[Farawyn]

Same for trach sites. One whiff and I can tell its pseudomonas.

I'm a Cdiff sniffer outer. We had a thread on this awhile back. There were skeptics, but it's TRUTH.