needing some advise

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New hospice pateint that was dx with imflamatory breast cancer and now has skin metastsis. Skin mets along her mastectomy incision line and now they are growing at a very rapid rate on her arm, and chest. She has no open areas currently but in the past has had an open area and had problems with flies. The flies seem to surround her, and this is distrubing to the patient and her family. Her arm from her mastectomy side is very swollen and painful. Pain is now under control with motrin, and duragesic patches. But I'm looking for help or ideas on what to do for her skin, especially if she develops another open lesion. Does anyone have any ideas?

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

If the flies are attracted to an odor, they make charcoal dressings that you can cover her 4x4's or abd pads. Pad the area liberally with gauze and papertape. Charcoal dressings--Granted, they are really expensive, but as long as they don't get WET, they will work for a couple of days at a time. Flies are attracted to necrotic tissue, so I would watch for maggots next.

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Specializes in Hospice.

You can also treat the wound once it opens with Flagyl...open the capsule and spread it over the wound. It will not smell and attract the flies.

HTH

Cheryl

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

if odor becomes a problem for the pt/family you can use a simple dryer sheet in the outer kerlix wrap not as good as the charcoal drsg but cheaper ... prolly won't fool the flies but helps the humans. Make sure to have the family put up fly paper in adjacent area of the house.

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