Attack of The Killer Poop

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Critical Care.

Maybe it's because I work in LTACH. No, most definitely because I work in LTACH. Diarrhea is a fact of life. From the antibiotics or C Dif? Ugh, does it really matter why? (Yes, I know it matters why they have diarrhea, but for this exercise...it does not matter...)

I'm so over it. Over it. It's never really bothered me before now. But lately, i can't escape it. It's everywhere. It's blowing out the sides of the draw sheets, Flexiseal tubes EXPLODING, and bed pans....I rarely (thank you baby Jesus) have to deal with bed pans...but BED PANS...I just can't take it anymore. I don't have enough fingers to count how many times I've gagged and actually almost puked emptying a bed pan or a Flexiseal bag this week.

No. I'm not pregnant. What is wrong

with me.

P.s. lll trade you, I'll do your teach care.

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I worked in LTAC for over a year. Whenever someone asks me what it's like I have to mention the poop. It's all total care patients, mostly vents. Many of them have c. diff. So basically we run feeding into their tubes and then it just streams out their butts and all over the bed. I always warn CNAs especially.... "you don't want to work at an LTAC".

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Specializes in ICU / Urgent Care.

My condolences, OP. :eek:

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Specializes in Hospice.
I worked in LTAC for over a year. Whenever someone asks me what it's like I have to mention the poop. It's all total care patients, mostly vents. Many of them have c. diff. So basically we run feeding into their tubes and then it just streams out their butts and all over the bed. I always warn CNAs especially.... "you don't want to work at an LTAC".

Ah, tube feeds. I always told students and new grads, "One thing you never have to worry about if your patient is a tube feed: constipation."

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Sometimes you just get enough of that smell. It seems to stick to your clothes, skin, hair, and it lives in your nose. It's messy, disgusting looking, and is unpredictable (unless of course you just gave your patient a full bed bath/bed change - then by god it is going to happen - several times). It just gets old after awhile.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

These replies crack me up!!! Glad I'm not alone in this one. 😷

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Sometimes you just get enough of that smell. It seems to stick to your clothes, skin, hair, and it lives in your nose.

YES! Especially CDIFF and GI bleed....seems to stick to your nose hairs. 😕

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Vicks can help if it's really bad.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Vicks can help if it's really bad.

I love you. Bought some Vicks!!!!

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I had a quad once that was constipated and once she let go....OMG the poor girl was covered from her shoulders to her ankles and was in a puddle. My charge nurse grabbed the yankaeur, flipped on the suction and vacuumed up 400 cc's of liquid poop. Best idea I ever saw.

just for the record we have disposable one piece suction containers. So we just changed the canister and tubing afterward....

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Specializes in Hospice.
I had a quad once that was constipated and once she let go....OMG the poor girl was covered from her shoulders to her ankles and was in a puddle. My charge nurse grabbed the yankaeur, flipped on the suction and vacuumed up 400 cc's of liquid poop. Best idea I ever saw.

just for the record we have disposable one piece suction containers. So we just changed the canister and tubing afterward....

Who would of thought?

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I had a quad once that was constipated and once she let go....OMG the poor girl was covered from her shoulders to her ankles and was in a puddle. My charge nurse grabbed the yankaeur, flipped on the suction and vacuumed up 400 cc's of liquid poop. Best idea I ever saw.

just for the record we have disposable one piece suction containers. So we just changed the canister and tubing afterward....

Wow. Charge Nurse FTW!!

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