Any techniques for cleaning feces off of a patient?

KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2011

Debulk as much as possible then use shaving cream. Works great and cuts the smell. For the really sticky stuff or if it's dried on, lotion works well too.

beast master RN · Oct 1, 2011

we have wipes, which is basically a large baby wipes soaked with peri cleaner , grab a handful and a small trash bag and start doing work, obviously if its a women front to back, but other than that its not rocket science , the more buts you wipe the better and more comfortable you get , its just a experience thing, and personally im better with smells now than when i started, but some smells you never get used to , i dont care

dabears54 · Oct 1, 2011

Oh GI bleeds...makes the entire floor smell!!

merlee · Oct 1, 2011

There are some good commercial peri-wash sprays on the market. Saturate the area, then use alcohol-free wipes. When done cleaning, use a good barrier cream to protect the area. Next time you need to clean it should be easier.

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · Oct 1, 2011

If it is really bad, you could always take them to the shower and hose them off.

Shaving cream works really good when it is dried on. I remeber working in the ED as a tech and a patient came in covered head to toe in dried diarrhea, we tried the wash cloths as the ED didn't have the wet wipes, only thing that helped was shaving cream

Nerd5000 · Oct 1, 2011

When I use the wipes I go through up to 2 packages. Would you guys recommend taking off the diarrhea off with a dry towel first? And then going for the wipes? I just feel like there's got to be a more efficient way of doing this without using so many wipes that is a bit quicker...

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2011

Oh yes, use a towel first to get the goopy stuff off first. I like the idea of using a trash bag-you could cut the sides 1/4 of the way down and then put the flat side under the pt's butt-sort of like an under buttocks drape. Then you can just shovel in the nastiness with a towel. That sounds like it would be more efficient.

Instead of wipes, I like to use a warm wet washcloth with some Castille soap on it. Get a few and have them soaking in a basin. Then you can just use wipes for the finishing touches.

melsch · Oct 1, 2011

I have to agree with the shaving cream suggestion. It really works. Put some on your cloth and start cleaning. Once the fecesis all soft just wipe it off and give the a rinse with clear water.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2011

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/sticky-poop-i-620801.html

more poop advice....

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Oct 3, 2011

If they are wearing a brief, you can use it to gentally wipe the bulk off. After you do that..you can use a towel or wash cloth to get anything remaining. If you have moiste wipes you can use these then or wet wash cloth with soap. Wipe from front to back. Don't forget to dry the area then apply a moisture barrier.

Better yet...ask a good CNA for help and to show you!

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 4, 2011

We have a perineal spray that helps get tough poop off lol. It works really well and smells nice, too.