tumor odor

[Sailingshoes]

We have a pt with a tumor in her breast that has come through the skin. She did not seek tx until now. Does anyone have any ideas on how to difuse the odor? Frequent dressing changes are done. We want to provide her with as much dignity as possible and also consider the other pts. that have nausea issues.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

There are different types of roomsprays you can get from housekeeping. Keep a bottle of mouthwash open in the room or dump over the soiled dressings in the garbage can. Better still, tie the soiled dressings up in their own bags and then place them in the garbage. Another good resource would be your enteral stomal nurse. They deal with a lot of ostomy bags that have charcoal wafers and other things in them to reduce odor. There may be something you can get ordered that's not part of a pouch. Not sure if these types of products exist, but your ET nurse is a good starting point.

[leslie :-D]

is this a fungating wound?

there are charcoal products to lay directly on wound bed.

alginate dsgs control exudate, but still needs bid/tid changes.

flagyl (gel, powder) often works.

these lesions always require aggressive mgmt.

leslie

[wixy10]

there is an over the counter chlorophil oral tablet that has worked quite well for our patients in out-pt clinic.

[heron, ASN, RN]

On my hospice inpt unit we use ground coffee open to air - usually in a basket-type paper filter - in an unobtrusive place near the pt - often under the bed. We replace with fresh coffee grounds every one or two days. I've also used enterostomal anti-odor products too ... but more expensive and harder to find.

[adria37]

I have used oil of peppermint with a cotton ball pulled into a wick as a freshener.

[lorazepam]

Our WOCN recognized a tumor once as a fungal infection causing the odor and prescribed metrogel. When applied liberally with BID dressing changes, the smell goes away.