Super thick & sticky phlegm

[Ruthfarmer]

I'm new to hospice, and loving it. I have dealt with a lot of phlegm in my time, but last week I came across a patient with really super thick and sticky phelgm like I've never seen before. The patient is a bit obsessed with the phlegm and frequently asked me if it looks like "meat." I assured him it didn't look like meat, just super thick phlegm.

The patient has end stage lung disease, silicosis, asbestotis, lupus, parkinson, and just about every other co-morbidity you can imagine. About the only medication he was not on was Guaifenesin. We got him started on Guaifensin. Encouraged fluids, suggested a humidifier/ humidified O2.

I'd be most appreciative of any other suggestions. The other nurses from my agency say they haven't dealt with phlegm this thick and sticky before.

I went to school later in life to become a nurse. . . . been nursing since I was nine, but without a license. Hospice nurses caring for a loved one inspired me to attend nursing school. I have some experience on cardio-pulmonary floor. Most of my experience has been ER and swingbed. I'm looking to add more interventions to my hospice bag of tricks.

[SoCalRN1970]

I'm new to hospice, and loving it. I have dealt with a lot of phlegm in my time, but last week I came across a patient with really super thick and sticky phelgm like I've never seen before. The patient is a bit obsessed with the phlegm and frequently asked me if it looks like "meat." I assured him it didn't look like meat, just super thick phlegm.

The patient has end stage lung disease, silicosis, asbestotis, lupus, parkinson, and just about every other co-morbidity you can imagine. About the only medication he was not on was Guaifenesin. We got him started on Guaifensin. Encouraged fluids, suggested a humidifier/ humidified O2.

I'd be most appreciative of any other suggestions. The other nurses from my agency say they haven't dealt with phlegm this thick and sticky before.

I went to school later in life to become a nurse. . . . been nursing since I was nine, but without a license. Hospice nurses caring for a loved one inspired me to attend nursing school. I have some experience on cardio-pulmonary floor. Most of my experience has been ER and swingbed. I'm looking to add more interventions to my hospice bag of tricks.

THe guifenisne must be a high enough dose taken consistently to help liquify the secretions. MUCINEX is the the very same drug. I have had to use this or the generic as the dosing with syrup was just too much

[ErinS, BSN, RN]

We have actually been successful when all efforts to thin and expectorate secretions has failed, in drying them with scopolamine or atropine. While this does not improve lung function, if the goal is to reduce the incessant coughing up of phlegm, this has worked.