Bleach breath?

[Sonjailana]

I had a pt who was comfort care several weeks ago and was dying from a massive intracranial hemorrhage. The pt also had a significant ETOH/illicit drug history. I did of mouth care as this pt had a lot of terminal congestion and secretions. The odor really seemed to be smelling somewhat bleachy?

What was this? Is it the so called neuro breath? Or did it have to with metabolic processes of death? I've had many hospice patients before, but never have they had breath like this.

[leslie :-D]

i've heard folks use ammonia and bleach/chlorine, used interchangably.

those type odors are mostly associated with renal failure.

but metabolic changes, meds, bacteria all can/will produce changes, resulting in odors one has never encountered before.

leslie