Hospitals employees have many different ways of combating offensive odors produced by patients' bodies. The odors may be due to infectious diarrhea, necrotic infections, or excessive body fat. We've all been in that situation many times, and we've all dealt with it one way or another, whether it be through machines which suck in the odor and expel neutral smelling air into the room, or potpourri, peppermint spirits that you can sprinkle about, essential oils, or chemical products that you can spray such as Glade.
However, when do these measures become offensive to use? One time I was washing up an incontinent patient who had c-diff and although it smelled rather gross, the situation was worsened when another nurse walked over to the doorway and started spraying Glade into the room as I was washing up. Because of that, I had to contend with an extremely unpleasant smelling combination of cinnamon and ****. I would have rather just dealt with the stool.
What is your experience in these matters? Does your hospital have the machines that suck in the odor? Or do you spray or sprinkle substances around? What is your preference?
