The Pros of Umbilical Cord Care Using Triple Dye and Alcohol Regimen - Research Paper Example

? The Pros of Umbilical Cord Care Using Triple Dye and Alcohol Regimen Every year, about 500, 000 infants die of neonatal infections, most of which result from bacterial infections on the umbilical cord. Before introduction of aseptic techniques, infections of the umbilical cord were even worse and were the major cause of neonatal death. Although the precise mechanism of cord separation remains unclear, actions such as drying, bacterial contamination, and granulocyte influx have been shown to affect the separation process. People in different regions of the world used different strategies in drying out umbilical cord. Some of the methods were unsterile ad resulted in serious infections such as neonatal tetanus. Current umbilical care practices vary across different regions but have limited neonatal complications. Triple dye plus alcohol is one of the modern umbilical care treatments with several pros. The Pros of Umbilical Cord Care Using Triple Dye and Alcohol Regimen The kind of neonatal care given to newborn babies has great impact on the baby. Umbilical treatments aim at preventing infections during the cord separation. Umbilical cord is the cord that connects the baby with the placenta. It is mainly made up of blood vessels and acts as the connection between the mother and the foetus. After birth, the cord separates from the placenta, the cord stump dries and eventually falls, and the wound heals eventually. During the cord separation process, substances may collect and accumulate at the point of connection leading to infections. The cord takes about 5-15 days to separate. The umbilical stump provides a possible entry for bacteria. Therefore, there is need for use of appropriate treatment to aid the separation process, drying, and healing of the wound without infections. Antimicrobials are used to treat the umbilicus to fasten the cord separation and prevent bacterial colonization and other related complications of nursery infections as well as omphalitis. However, different antimicrobial work differently and may determine the time taken for cord to separate. Additionally, they may regulate the probability occurrence of any infections. Use of triple dye together with alcohol for treatment of umbilical cord is becoming a popular treatment for umbilical cord. The objective of this paper is to investigate the pros of Umbilical Cord Care using Triple Dye & alcohol. This analysis provides insights on how umbilical care impacts on nursing care. The paper will entail critical analysis of recent and relevant research related to the pros of using triple dye and alcohol in umbilical cord care and make a conclusion regarding this method of nursing care. Triple dye is considered one of the most effective regimens for treatment of umbilical cord. A single application of the dye has been proved to prevent infections. However, the results are even better when triple dye is used together with alcohol. Studies have demonstrated that 90% alcohol is better in enhancing umbilical cord drying than other regimens such as povidone-iodine and Chinese herbs. Additionally, it has been proved that different regimen work differently in regions with different climatic conditions. However, some studies have shown that separation and healing occurs faster when Triple Dye is used together with alcohol. Discussion: Pro of Using Triple Dye Together with Alcohol for Cord Treatment   Umbilical cord care is one of the most important aspects of neonatal nursing care. This is because it greatly determines the health condition of the infant in the early stages after birth. Additionally, the effectiveness of the care determines the survival rate of infants. The time taken for cord separation is greatly determined by the regime used for the care. Several studies have been done to establish the effectiveness of different regimes in determining the time taken for the cord to separate and the rate of infections following cord separation. The studies have established that the kind of regime used matters. According to Alawia, Beiler, Tonya, Sana, Carnuccio and Ian (2010), a single application of Triple dye is enough to initiate cord separation and prevent infections. Their study was done on 90 newborns and involved use of triple dye alone in some newborns while in others triple dye was used together with alcohol (isopropyl alcohol). The study showed that triple dye treatment followed by daily applications of alcohol on the umbilical cords was beneficial and cost effective as compared to when triple dye was used alone. Although the study by Hsu, Yeh, Chuang, Lo, Cheng, & Huang, (2010) showed that alcohol did not reduce the cord separation time, it depicted the effectiveness of using alcohol together with triple dye. The findings of their research demonstrated that application of alcohol after dying with triple dye significantly reduced or even eliminated omphalitis or any skin infections. The study also showed that the frequency of application of triple dye and alcohol could determine the effectiveness of the treatment. The most appropriate treatment should be a single time for the triple dye. Based on the findings, Hsu, Yeh, Chuang, Lo, Cheng, & Huang, (2010) suggested that some infants healed effectively even without daily application of alcohol. However, they recommended further research on this issue. Janssen, Selwood, Dobson, Peacock, & Thiessen, (2006) raised concern over the choice to use alcohol alone or nothing in umbilical cord treatment. Their article argues that alcohol alone cannot be effective enough to prevent microbila infections. They suggest that there is need for continued extensive bactericidal treatment of the cord to reduce the infant deaths that frequently arise from umbilical cord infections. They argue that omphalitis is still a clinical concern and the choice to discontiue cord treatment using triple three by some health care givers is inappropriate. Their study, which included 776 subjects and showed that infection risk increases when the umbililical cord in untreated. They suggest use of both alcohol and triple three for drying and infection prevention (Janssen, Selwood, Dobson, Peacock, & Thiessen, 2006). Iliyasu, Mukhtar-Yola, & Wudil, (2011) conducted a study in Nigeria, which is one of the developing countries. The study showed that the interval between birth and cord separation varies world wide and is determined by different factors, one of them being cord care practices. In Nigeria, several substances are used in cord treatment, some of which are unsterile, which often result in cord infection and neonatal deaths. Therefore, scientifically proven antiseptic methods such as use of triple dye and alcohol ought to be adopted in such regions to reduce neonatal deaths. Additionally, Iliyasu, Mukhtar-Yola, & Wudil, (2011) found that some women misinterpreted a cloudy mucoid material that accumulates at the point of cord separation and thought it was pus. On the contrary the substance is present even in normal healing. This suggested that there could be errors in some studies where normal healing could be mistaken resulting in erronious assumption. This could be the case in some instances where some women argue that use of alcohol deteroriated the healing of the umbilical stump (Iliyasu, Mukhtar-Yola, & Wudil, 2011). Aydemir, Alparslan, & Demirel, (2012) examined the effectiveness of different regimens such as 70 alcohol, 10% povidone-iodine and 0.4% chlorhexidine on the cord separation and healing. Although alcohol appeared to have less antiseptic effect and did not reduce the cord separation significantly, it is still a good option since povidone-iodine has great side effects. Therefore, effectiveness of alcohol can be enhanced by using it together with Triple dye. Given the large number of infants dying from umbilical cord infection, it is important that appropriate regimens for the different regions of the world be identified. This is because research has shown that different regimens work differently in different parts of the world. Therefore, a regimen may be mistaken as ineffective while reduced efficiency would be due to other factors. It is only through adequate research that the best remedy can be identified. However, several studies such as the ones described above have shown the effectiveness of using triple dye together with alcohol for effective cord separation. It would be crucial for trials to be done in countries with high neonatal deaths resulting from umbilical cord infections and other cord separation related complications, for establishment of a resolution. Umbilical cord care is an important component of midwifery nursing. It is studied in relation to aspects of pregnancy and delivery care. Neonatal deaths have become a great concern especially in third world countries. Research in nursing is increasingly focusing on the causes of neonatal deaths with the aim of reducing mortalities. Cord infection remains one of the major death causes. Being an example of umbilical cord treatment, Triple Dye and alcohol treatment are crucial in nursing studies. Additionally neonatal care is closely connected to the reproductive health (Aydemir, Alparslan, & Demirel, 2012; Iliyasu, Mukhtar-Yola, & Wudil, 2011). Understanding how different umbilical treatments work is crucial for nurses, especially those involved in pediatric care. Moreover, coming up with a cord treatment that can reduce infant mortality will go a long way in improving pediatric care. It is thus important that research to determine the effectiveness of Triple dye when used alone or with alcohol be extended since there are many controversies from the existing studies Conclusion Infections and complication arising after birth, especially during the cord separation period are among the major causes of neonatal death. People from different regions of the world have used different treatments to prevent infections before and after cord separation. Currently, antiseptics are the main treatments used for umbilical cord treatment. There has been a lot of debated on whether triple dye should be used together with alcohol for cord treatment. The studies described above show that triple dye is an effective treatment for the umbilical cord even when applied for a single time. It is even more effective when used together with alcohol since it ensures that the cord dries without occurrence of any infections. Although most studies have shown that using alcohol together with triple dye accelerates healing of the cord, there is need for further research. This will provide insights on how the frequency of application of Triple dye and alcohol may affect the cord healing. References Aydemir, H., Alparslan, O., & Demirel, Y. (2012). Comparison of the effects of 70% alcohol, 10% Povidone-iodine and 0.4% 0.4% chlorhexidine which are usedin umbilical care on colonization and umbilical cord Separation Time. African Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 6(13), 3112-3118. Hsu, W. C., Yeh, L. C., Chuang, M. Y., Lo, W. T., Cheng, S. N., & Huang, C. F. (2010). Umbilical separation time delayed by alcohol application. Annals Of Tropical Paediatrics, 30(3), 219-223. Doi:10.1179/146532810X12786388978643 Iliyasu, Z., Mukhtar-Yola, M., & Wudil, B. (2011). Survey of Umbilical Cord care and Separation Time in Healthy Newborns in Kano. Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics, Vol 38 (4), 175-181. Janssen, P., Selwood, B., Dobson, S., Peacock, D., & Thiessen, P. (2006). To Dye or Not to Dye: A Randomized, Clinical Trial of a Triple Dye/Alcohol Regime Versus Dry Cord Care. Pediatrics, Vol 111, No. 1, 15-21. Suliman, A. K., Watts, H., Beiler, J., King, T. S., Khan, S., Carnuccio, M., & Paul, I. M. (2010). Triple Dye Plus Rubbing Alcohol Versus Triple Dye Alone for Umbilical Cord Care. Clinical Pediatrics, 49(1), 45-48. Doi:10.1177/0009922808329455. Read More