Kitty litter as an order

Published

Actually, I thought it was kind of cool! We have a patient with real bad wounds. +cdif, + MRSA. Needless to say the smell was overwhelming in the room. We have used those carbon air fresheners in the past for gangrene patients, but our medical director wrote an order for a bowl of kitty litter to be placed under the bed to absorb the odors in the room. I am off for the next day, will let you all know how it works.

Is it a particular type of kitty litter, or any kitty litter?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Is it a particular type of kitty litter, or any kitty litter?

any kind is fine.

we've been using kitty litter for years as an odor neutralizer.

pts tend to hate those commercial deodorizers.

leslie

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, Flight.

About 10 years ago I was at the ED in Milford-Whitensville (Mass.). They had a magical little pump bottle of, I think, diluted clove oil. One teensy weensy little spray up into the air magically deodorized a large room area in moments. It was the darndest thing I've ever seen. They guarded that little bottle like gold, and the effect certainly justified it! No after smell or residue or stuff to clean up. Just, 'smell gone'! :yeah:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

we use a spray of diluted peppermint oil. it works really, really well.

i have seen kitty litter under the bed. when i was in nursing school i had a pt with gangrene and the MD ordered kitty litter. we just put some in a pt basin and placed it under the bed. it really does help absorb the smell.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

This is so interesting! Never heard of these suggestions before, but will consider them if I ever have the occasion. I assume that the deodarized kitty litters may be a problem because of allergies...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

tray of charcoal under the bed, is just as effective as well.

leslie

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.
Gee, I thought this was going to be a 'patient giving away kittens from her hospital bed' thread. :chuckle

j, you just KNOW that mgmt would try to make someone order kitty litter for that patient if they thought it would improve Press Ganey scores.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, CV-Thoracic Sx, Internal Medicine.

How the heck do you bill this?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We have used it before too. We had a person in the ICU that had a lot of bad wounds and one of my coworkers brought in kitty litter and it did the trick. Well it had a funny smell to the room but at least you could go in there without a mask.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
we use a spray of diluted peppermint oil. it works really, really well.

i have seen kitty litter under the bed. when i was in nursing school i had a pt with gangrene and the MD ordered kitty litter. we just put some in a pt basin and placed it under the bed. it really does help absorb the smell.

We had peppermint oil too but they took it off the floors. It was wonderful.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, Peds ER.
How the heck do you bill this?

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.

Does pharmacy dispense it?? or do we trot off to walgreens?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion