WHATS THAT SMELL???

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Specializes in Geriatric/Sub Acute, Home Care.

I have often wondered about odors that are super strong, just filling the air of the room of 2 patients...one with diarrhea and the other without...and the staff that go in and out of these rooms inhaling these partially probably ignitable fumes from the bowels or urinary tract or even lungs from a patient.....my question is....IF YOU CAN SMELL IT...does this mean that those bacteria/germs/etc are floating in the air just like viruses? I tell my aides to wear double masks as well as for myself....I don't like anyone breathing in this foul stench ...you just don't know about certain things...if you can smell certain pollutions in the air, exhausts, chemicals, whatever....they can eventually harm you... I feel the same about C Diff, and any other odors I come across in the Nursing home.

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LOL!!! I have nothing to add, but I LOVE the title of your post.

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

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Specializes in ICU.

Lol!!

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Specializes in PCT, RN.

You can't get c diff. from smelling the odor of contaminated feces lol.

It's a contact bacteria; you'd have to touch something that came in contact with the actual bacteria in the feces and then touch something like your mouth or eyes.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Ummm I don't think that smells from the bowels are ignitable. Smelling feces cannot make you sick.

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I have the most inappropriate picture in my head right now of a patient lighting his farts.

I'm sorry, OP, I know that's not helpful, but loriangel14 got me.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Not all viruses are airborne either like rotavirus and other GI illness causing viruses. Herpes I&2 are not airborne.

Humans don't produce methane. That's a skill left to the bovine population. Therefore regardless of how strong a persons GI products are they will not ignite.

Even if you are hypersensitive to scents double masking won't do a bit of good once moist from respirations. Hence why death investigators stick to a little peppermint oil, eucalyptus or Vicks vaporub under the nares to increase tolerance from unpleasant odors.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
I have the most inappropriate picture in my head right now of a patient lighting his farts.

I'm sorry, OP, I know that's not helpful, but loriangel14 got me.

Well you know how patients that are on O2 at home have no smoking signs, does this mean you would need the same signs if you had wicked gas?

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Specializes in LTC.

What's that smell? Yeast. There's nothing like lifting up a skin fold only to be hit in the face with the "delightful" odor of a wicked yeast infection. :barf02:

Back to topic, I have not heard nor read of the possibility of becoming infected based on the strength of an odor. That would suck. I would currently be covered in yeast with a rampant case of c-diff if so.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

JustBeachy...human farts WILL ignite....not with a flare of fire, but they definitely respond to fire. My husband and his friends, wayyyy back in the day, would light theirs. Easily entertained? Ahem. Luckily it's been lots of decades since that's been a fun activity for them.

On that bombshell, back to the original topic....

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
JustBeachy...human farts WILL ignite....not with a flare of fire, but they definitely respond to fire. My husband and his friends, wayyyy back in the day, would light theirs. Easily entertained? Ahem. Luckily it's been lots of decades since that's been a fun activity for them.

On that bombshell, back to the original topic....

For clarity won't ignite if you lit a flame in the room while flatulence present as in the scenario described above, the air would not ignite from the odors of flatus, cDiff, etc. (Intentional ignition attempts by flatulent frat boys notwithstanding) Not like oxygen or say vapors from acetone or certain alcohols.

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For clarity won't ignite if you lit a flame in the room while flatulence present as in the scenario described above, the air would not ignite from the odors of flatus

They may not be flammable, but at least one man has killed himself with his own farts, per the Darwin awards.

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