Gross Question....

[luvmy2angels]

Without getting to graphic does anyone know how to get the NASTY smell of necrotic and infected tissue smell out of your nose?? I want to take a wire brush to it cause i swear i can still smell it!! Than god i was chewing mint gum, that helped me get through the procedure but i can still smell it, or is it just mental cause it was SOOOOO bad?????

[kfarinato]

When I used to work in the operating room and we would have some really nasty smelling things I would open up an alcohol wipe and take a quick sniff of it. It usually helped remove the offending odor. There is nothing worse than the odor of necrotic tissue.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Well... GI bleeds will hang with you too. During procedure, peppermint altoids, or peppermint oil under nose, or vicks under nose.

After shift:

Breathe outside

Shower, wash hair too,

Put on favorite lotion/hand creme

Got a netti pot...

Vicks vapor rub under nose for an hour or two

Bake cookies fill house with smell

favorite candles fill house with smell

[Nurse Blaker]

It is the worst smell ever! I think the best thing you can do...in the future when you're dressing that particular wound wear a mask, use vicks under your nose and mouth breathe. That's the only thing that helped me.

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

Irrigate your sinuses with one of the commercial saline products you can buy otc.

Other things like mints, Vicks etc can help prevent it, but once you get that smell up in their, then irrigation/nasal sprays is the way to go!

[Ruthiegal]

One of my nursing instructors many years ago told us to blow our nose after we were done to get all the "smelly molecules" out of the nose, then do the other things suggested if it was still there....

[tatara]

I often get to care for burn patients who can't afford regular debridement. I tell you, the smell haunts me even at sleep!

I would spray cologne to a sheet of 4x8 gauze, line it inside my N95, and wear protective (sterile) gear with cap.

My nose gets immune with the smell within 5 minutes of exposure.

It doesn't bother me much now that I'm so used to those different horrible smells in my area; body odor, smelly feet, colostomy bag content, halitosis, hematochezia/melena, smegma... I can go on and on

I'm gross.

[LuxCalidaNP]

We would always keep Vicks around, and if youu knew it was going to stink, we would rub a bit on the upper lip of every clinician. WORKS WONDERS!

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Vicks.

[tewdles, RN]

I often get to care for burn patients who can't afford regular debridement. I tell you, the smell haunts me even at sleep!

I would spray cologne to a sheet of 4x8 gauze, line it inside my N95, and wear protective (sterile) gear with cap.

My nose gets immune with the smell within 5 minutes of exposure.

It doesn't bother me much now that I'm so used to those different horrible smells in my area; body odor, smelly feet, colostomy bag content, halitosis, hematochezia/melena, smegma... I can go on and on

I'm gross.

Indeed you are.

[Hoozdo, ADN]

I keep Atomic Fireballs on me at all times at work. Works for me, but most people think they are too hot. Very intense cinnamon.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i use a netipot if i still smell the nasties when i get home -rinses is right away. A word of caution about using altoids or vicks to mask a nasty smell - sometimes that menthol scent can open up your nostrils a bit and you smell it even worse - though honestly i only think that happened to me because i was a bit stuffy to begin with.