Game: Name that smelly drug

[Rhoresmith]

Hey a question about a med. I am talking to a friend on the phone that is working as an aide waiting to get her papers to test. Last night the LPN she was working with brought a liquid medication in the room, and told her to smell it, it smelled terrible (worse than rotten eggs). The patient had c/o nausea and she wondered if it was for that. She didn't write down the name and after a terrible night forgot the name, she thinks it starts with a c. Any ideas as to what this could be, it is driving her crazy trying to remember it. I told her that all the great nurses here (and the hundreds of years of combined experiance ) could probably come up with it.

Thanks guys

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

Mucomyst?

Edited to add: it's used on my unit for Tylenol OD's. Stinks to high heaven. Best to just plug the nose and chug.

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/acetylcysteine_ids.htm

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Mucomyst?

Edited to add: it's used on my unit for Tylenol OD's. Stinks to high heaven. Best to just plug the nose and chug.

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/acetylcysteine_ids.htm

Smells like sulfer or eggs....we use it in nebulizer treatments.

[Rhoresmith]

Yeah I mentioned mucomyst I was a Rt and that is what came to mind but this was an elderly lady, no OD or respiratory problems so we eliminated that one. She said that just wasn't the name she thought.

Thanks for the link

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Yeah I mentioned mucomyst I was a Rt and that is what came to mind but this was an elderly lady, no OD or respiratory problems so we eliminated that one. She said that just wasn't the name she thought.

Thanks for the link

While she obviously wasn't overdosing on tylenol, Mucomyst is also used to help the kidneys clear dyes used in procedures such as CT scans with contrast.

[INtoFL_RN]

Is it Compazine? I've never smelled it, but it's the only thing I can think of that is for nausea and starts with a "C".

[tommycher]

Yep, exactly, mucomyst. If she had a CT with poor kidney function, that had to be it, it smells the worst.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Geez! I thought I was losing my mind for a minute there! I posted this in response to this thread earlier, but didn't see the post. Apparently the original question was posted more than once?

Anyhow, I think we all pretty much agree it was Mucomyst:

It could be Mucomyst. The odor is really nasty.

Usually given as a nebulized inhalant, it's sometimes given po (we give it in 120 ml of ginger ale to make it more palatable) for acetaminophen overdose or to renal patients to help them clear the contrast from certain tests from their systems.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Phenergan IV has a smell to it. How about an antibiotic?? They stink!

[np2b]

"AC" is, I'm guessing, acetylcysteine...the generic name for Mucomyst.

K

[jeepgirl, LPN, NP]

Hey a question about a med. I am talking to a friend on the phone that is working as an aide waiting to get her papers to test. Last night the LPN she was working with brought a liquid medication in the room, and told her to smell it, it smelled terrible (worse than rotten eggs). The patient had c/o nausea and she wondered if it was for that. She didn't write down the name and after a terrible night forgot the name, she thinks it starts with a c. Any ideas as to what this could be, it is driving her crazy trying to remember it. I told her that all the great nurses here (and the hundreds of years of combined experiance ) could probably come up with it.

Thanks guys

mucomist

[andi2634]

I've been floating to our CCU lately and it's part of standard pre cardiac cath orders- I think with a bicarb gtt. to help protect the kidneys form taking a hit with the dye during the cath. Our pharmacy prints on the MAR to mix it with Coke to help prevent nausea- although patients still say it smells and tastes terrible.