That certain odor on some patients and their visitors

Specialties Emergency

Published

I always smell this one musky, acrid, sweetish, sort of nauseating type smell on a lot of people. They are always the questionable types. I was wondering if that's meth I smell, pot, or something else. I'm sure a lot of you ER nurses know what I'm talking about.

I've never smelled it on on anyone in my real life until recently, a fellow I've hired to do some carpentry work. I think it's probably a drug smell.

Do you all know what that smell is? I don't remember smelling it from back in my youth (many, many moons ago), so I don't think it's pot, but I'm not sure. If you smoke meth, does it make a smell? What about spice?

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.
I prefer the term Whiskey Tango based on the phonetic alphabet :lol2: jk

You forgot the Foxtrot part lol, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
There's also a certain odor people have who don't bathe. I call it buttcrack odor because they haven't been able to wash their buttcracks so that's what smells. They try to hide it by using a lot of perfume and powder but that smell is hard to get rid of unless you bathe.

But buttcrack odor is WAYY different than the low income smell...a myrad of odors that just doesn't go away unless a fresh coat of paint and proper detergent with Febreeze and good smelling candles and odor eliminators are being utilized.

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Judging based on appearance is always risky, in my opinion. But judging based on smell might be more spot-on!
Judging based on smell can be risk, too... I've come across a number of pungent streeties who turned out to be very kind and respectful... just very dysfunctional.
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Specializes in ER.

OK, update here. I went to fetch something from my workman's truck for him. I smelled the smell in his truck. He MUST be smoking something. I wonder if it's pot? I'm so out of touch. I think modern pot might be sweeter smelling than the weed from the 1970s?

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OK, update here. I went to fetch something from my workman's truck for him. I smelled the smell in his truck. He MUST be smoking something. I wonder if it's pot? I'm so out of touch. I think modern pot might be sweeter smelling than the weed from the 1970s?

Pot has a smell similar to skunk these days. At least the pot that is being smoked in my apartment building does.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Currently burning or very recently smoked pot has a sharp-ish smell but it seems to mellow with "age" ... the sweatshirt worn when smoking dope 5 days ago will have a more cloying odor.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Let me just say the 72yo male pt I had yesterday, who test + for meth had no tattoos, nor did he appear "white trashy" or smell bad. He did have an attitude that clued us in that he might be having withdrawal from street drug use, we choose to test him (after he denied any such use), and he was positive for meth and cocaine.

This is something that I remind ER staff that I orient -- the heyday of the 60s drug culture was now almost 50 years ago, so you will at least occasionally run across folks who continue to dabble in drugs who are pushing 70 years of age.

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Specializes in Float Pool-Med-Surg, Telemetry, IMCU.

Emergent, if you are from "Seahawks Country" I can assure you, that's some Mary Jane you're smelling! :troll:

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Specializes in Emergency.

As a possible alternative to drugs, there's a particular, sickly sweet smell associated with bad cockroach infestation in some homes. Having spent years in EMS going in and out some vile homes, I tend to notice it right away. It is different than the smells associated with alcohol or drugs.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
As a possible alternative to drugs, there's a particular, sickly sweet smell associated with bad cockroach infestation in some homes. Having spent years in EMS going in and out some vile homes, I tend to notice it right away. It is different than the smells associated with alcohol or drugs.

Oooh, that brings back bad (stomach-heaving) memories. Hoarder homes, totally infested. Hurk!!

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Specializes in ER, Addictions, Geriatrics.
As a possible alternative to drugs, there's a particular, sickly sweet smell associated with bad cockroach infestation in some homes. Having spent years in EMS going in and out some vile homes, I tend to notice it right away. It is different than the smells associated with alcohol or drugs.

I simultaneously just had an uncontrollable all over body itch and urge to dry heave.

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