Does the OR... Smell?

[Arijos0222]

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Hi, in Bio Medical class, I was dissecting a sheep heart. I picked up the scalpel, and as I was cutting through the myocardium of the heart, I noticed how it had a distinct, fairly unpleasant smell that seemed to be emerging from said organ.

Does the OR smell like this? Do different specialties that involve bodily organs, have their own distinct scent? If so, do you get used to it? Of course this was a preserved organ for academic purposes, however, the scent was quite pungent and my teacher said that they were well preserved over the weekend.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

It smells like roses and chocolate chip cookies.

 

[Shinobiz11]

For the most part; not really. It is obviously very clean and sterile in there. It depends what you are cutting too. When I was observing a foot surgery, they used a drill & saw on the bones which gave a nice, burning smell. Along with the cauterization of tissues with electricity, providing a lovely burning flesh scent. It's not going to smell like your preservative drenched organs in the class though.

 

[Winged Scapula]

It smells like roses and chocolate chip cookies.

If only...then you never get me to leave!!

The operating room does indeed have a certain smell. That smell will vary depending upon the organ being operated on, the presence or absence of infection, dying, infarcted, or necrotic tissue, certain equipment being used (e.g., electrocautery), chemicals, medicines, and the patients own body odor. An empty clean OR doesn't particularly have a smell, or at the very least, not an offensive smell.

It is highly likely that what you're smelling during dissection of the heart was formaldehyde or formalin typically used to fix tissue for dissection. It has a very easily distinguishable smell and one can often identify a first year medical student by that lingering smell.

With experience, you will be able to smell certain infections or dead bowel without even having to see the patient.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hi, in Bio Medical class, I was dissecting a sheep heart. I picked up the scalpel, and as I was cutting through the myocardium of the heart, I noticed how it had a distinct, fairly unpleasant smell that seemed to be emerging from said organ.

Does the OR smell like this? Do different specialties that involve bodily organs, have their own distinct scent? If so, do you get used to it? Of course this was a preserved organ for academic purposes, however, the scent was quite pungent and my teacher said that they were well preserved over the weekend.

There is a mild "sterile" smell, but unless there is a reason for smelliness (poor hygeine, burnt tissue, some types of infection, entering the intestines, etc) it is very minimal. What you might have been smelling was the preservatives used in non-living dissections. Or it could have been rotting

 

[pre med 2014]

I shadowed a forensic pathologist and got used to the smells after the first autopsy.

Though I hear you never get used to the decomps, I've never seen one of those.

 

[Law2Doc]

Bovies are used extensively and so you will be inhaling the smoke of seared flesh in every procedure.