Foul Odors

[bleu_3]

Anyone out there have any tricks for covering up foul odors? Last week was my very first clinicals. I had to empty out a ostomy bag and I almost puked!!! I had to pull myself together in the bathroom before I could face my pt again. Any tips would be very helpful. I NEVER want to smell that again!!!!!!!

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Worse smell? Gangrene on an extremely obese womans lower abdomen. Not only does it smell like urine, but...gangrene is a smell you will NEVER forget. When I spent a summer working for Mobile Medical (a medical bus that goes to the homeless areas and gives them free medical care) I put this menthol rub (like Vic's but menthol smelling) my dad gave me from when his friend was dying of gangrene (started on his toe, he refused treatment, it got in his blood stream and he slowly rotted to death, essentially)

[grace90, LPN, LVN]

Rub peppermint oil under your nose. Breath shallow. If you need to take a breather and can't get away from the situation, tuck your head down and to the side and bury your nose in your shoulder and take a breath. (not in your armpit, though)

A while back I discovered a way to get gross smells off my hands. A tube of toothpaste was sitting in the employee bathroom so I rubbed a blob of it all over my hands really good and then washed them with soap and water. It got the smell off.

[DoubleblessedRN, ADN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-P]

I breathe in through my mouth and out through my nose when I'm in a stinky situation.