Necrotic bowel mixed with a touch of C-diff

Changing a colostomy bag full with feces----The stench remain in your lungs for hours.

Head_Nurse says ...

 Hey Nurses,

We're sure that you've seen some pretty gross things in the hospital, but this week we're wondering about another of the 5 senses that takes a beating...your smell. 

So, what's the GROSSEST smell to ever grace the olfactory during a shift? I'm sure there are a few beyond the code browns. 

Tell us!

 the absolute worst thing i have ever smelled was a tampon that had been in for a long time. the dr. that i worked for removed it, and almost passed out.  needless to say, i got the bleach out and swabbed down the exam room.gross!!

I feel to mention when the leg ulcer or both infected...

I think I have smelled all that everone else has and while the MRSA, gangrene, C-Diff, Rotavirus, and Pseudomonas smells are absolutely vile and unforgettable, the one that makes me gag every time is ................BODY ODOR! The sickly sweet smell of sweat, especially sweat that has been there for days, is the only thing that I have ever gagged on. 

I

Eeeeyewwww

There is absolutely nothing about the inside of the human body that smells good at all period!!!!  Sometimes you get used to it but those first few times are horrible at best. Bed sores, GI bleeds. homelessness, cancer, MRSI's....I could go on and on and on.  Bowel movements are the least of anyone's smelling problems as far as I am concerned.  Thank God we have people like ourselves that can do a good service for these folks and then get sick to our stomachs in solitude (if possible...)  I love nursing but this is a good question as there are far too many smells that are beyond gross!!!!!  I so get it!!!!!  What i do not get is the way people neglect their hygiene...I mean, obviously some people simple cannot help it for health reasons but I have found so so so so so many people who are quite capable of showering/bathing and just don't!!!!  I mean, come on now...what is up with that?  That grosses me out pretty badly...especially when having to deal with certain areas of the body if you know what I mean.  I don't get it.  Yuckie.

I would have to agree with the GI bleed, MRSA infected wounds, gangrene, and, of course, unwashed ill bodies!  Vicks vapo-rub under the nose, or if appropriate, a mask with some peppermint or wintergreen essential oil on gauze.  Yuk!

Burnt skin/sub q tissue andthe smell that permeates when changing ostomies!

" Another classic..Mucomyst,for the elevated,creatinine level ! Would you like cheese with your,"rotten eggs?",( Ahem)"

TeresahRN says ...

All of the below are bad... I don't know about smell, but how about a super gross mouth full. When my son was being weaned from nursing, I had him on emfamil in the cup. We were at a wedding and this was in Florida.  Hot Day. I was holding Jamie on my lap.. I reached down to get my drink but to my suprise I  took a large drink of warm, discusting, i/nbelievably  bad, grossly harsh emfamil... Yuchhhh, It was so god awful. I spit and gagged and chocked my way through what seemed to take a century out of my mouth.. Needles to say, Jamie was put on milk in the cup.. Now that was a very long time ago, but I will never forget it...

 

Yuuuuuk!  

"Cleaning-up the results, S/P Kayexalate given,for elevated Potassium level,( Dialysis patients,etc.).

  **Need I say more".

Yikes! It definitely takes nerves of steel to be a nurse!

Well I worked as a Co-op student/nursing assistant during nursing school on a GI surgical/trauma floor and have to say that even colostomies did not smell as bad as seeping broken flesh!!! I had a patient whose body (about 80%)  was seeping serosanguineous fluid due to broken skin tears and it smelled worse than anything I have or ever will smell! It was definately something to remember...

I can pretty much handle the smells associated with infected wounds, GI bleeds, burnt flesh, and the code brown infected stools,but the odor of a very poorly hygenic vaginal area can gag me in a heartbeat!!!!!!