That Smelly Smell that Smells Smelly

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Today I smelled a perianal abscess that had fistulized into the rectum. Good god.

After a lot of thinking, I decided this was officially the worst smell I’ve ever smelled, which is pretty remarkable when not spoken as hyperbole.

We debrieded the abscess in the OR as infected poo flew everywhere. Even with the AC vents cranked to the max there was no escape. We were all gagging and dry heaving. I left after case and showered in the locker room. Changed my scrubs. Drove home, left the new scrubs in my car, and snuck into my house in my underwear. Then sat in the shower for 20 minutes.

And now, sitting on my couch, as clean as I’ve ever been in my whole life, I can still smell the poo.

Anyone have a better terrible smell story?

 

[Chibucks15]

I literally had to pack my gums with Altoids like I was putting in tobacco a few times with patients with Cdiff mixed with being homeless and all sorts of other infections and stuff. I'm tellin ya thats the trick. I had so much mint in my mouth I couldn't smell a thing haha I've tried to explain smells to non-medical people and theyll never comprehend

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Today I smelled a perianal abscess that had fistulized into the rectum. Good god.

After a lot of thinking, I decided this was officially the worst smell I’ve ever smelled, which is pretty remarkable when not spoken as hyperbole.

We debrieded the abscess in the OR as infected poo flew everywhere. Even with the AC vents cranked to the max there was no escape. We were all gagging and dry heaving. I left after case and showered in the locker room. Changed my scrubs. Drove home, left the new scrubs in my car, and snuck into my house in my underwear. Then sat in the shower for 20 minutes.

And now, sitting on my couch, as clean as I’ve ever been in my whole life, I can still smell the poo.

Anyone have a better terrible smell story?

Drained 1 L of a mixture of pus and feces out of this huge appendiceal abscess on IR. While **** wasn't everywhere, it was definitely on my gloves and on my gown.

Probably the same smell you smelled, but mine lasted on my hands (despite being double-gloved) for 2 days despite repeated handwashing and showering.

We did it under CT and the stench lingered in our radiology wing for a week.

My attending was like, "Alright, you got this? Cuz **** this ****. I'm sitting in the control room."

 

[getdown]

c diff

 

[MSTP18]

Literally decomposing corpse

 

[PhillyMed777]

ANCHOVIES

 

[thegreengreatdragon]

ANCHOVIES

The only acceptable answer

 

[Tenk]

When I worked in a path lab we would sometimes get toxic megacolons. I’ve smelled diabetic feet, rectal abscesses, bloody vomit and stools and c diff. Toxic megacolon is it’s own horrid thing.

 

[eatkalteenbars]

Today I smelled a perianal abscess that had fistulized into the rectum. Good god.

After a lot of thinking, I decided this was officially the worst smell I’ve ever smelled, which is pretty remarkable when not spoken as hyperbole.

We debrieded the abscess in the OR as infected poo flew everywhere. Even with the AC vents cranked to the max there was no escape. We were all gagging and dry heaving. I left after case and showered in the locker room. Changed my scrubs. Drove home, left the new scrubs in my car, and snuck into my house in my underwear. Then sat in the shower for 20 minutes.

And now, sitting on my couch, as clean as I’ve ever been in my whole life, I can still smell the poo.

Anyone have a better terrible smell story?

Saw a giant grapefruit-sized perianal abscess w/ fistula in the ED a couple months ago. Considering how revolting/permeating the smell was just from the patient passively sitting in a room (one of the few rooms with an actual door, too), I don't even wanna think about how horrific it must have been debriding in the OR.

 

[snowcrawler85]

I’m rethinking medical school

 

[Medic741]

Today I smelled a perianal abscess that had fistulized into the rectum. Good god.

After a lot of thinking, I decided this was officially the worst smell I’ve ever smelled, which is pretty remarkable when not spoken as hyperbole.

We debrieded the abscess in the OR as infected poo flew everywhere. Even with the AC vents cranked to the max there was no escape. We were all gagging and dry heaving. I left after case and showered in the locker room. Changed my scrubs. Drove home, left the new scrubs in my car, and snuck into my house in my underwear. Then sat in the shower for 20 minutes.

And now, sitting on my couch, as clean as I’ve ever been in my whole life, I can still smell the poo.

Anyone have a better terrible smell story?

If you see flies on the inside of a window prior to a welfare check in the summer...

 

[Medic741]

I’m rethinking medical school

10/10 not worth it.

 

[sella.turcica]

10/10 not worth it.

Med school or rethinking it?

 

[Taddy Mason]

Literally decomposing corpse

If you see flies on the inside of a window prior to a welfare check in the summer...

This. When I did my forensic path elective I got to go to the scene, help load up the body, and assist in the autopsy of a chronic alcoholic who pissed and **** wherever he wanted in his apartment and had been dead for about 3 weeks when he was found.

 

[Aurum]

Rectovaginal fistula.

That smell still haunts me.

 

[6FFF]

Saw a dude with the most horrible crohns ever. Innumerable perianal fistulas and abscesses draining the most thick, rancid purulent substance I’ve ever seen. Stunk up the whole clinic, will never forget the smell. Felt so bad for the guy, can’t imagine a worse quality of life.

 

[SouthernGent]

Rotting corpse that washed up into an agriculture field in the middle of summer in the deep south and then sat there for a few days before being found. Took 3 showers that day until I stopped getting random whiffs of it.

 

[ACSurgeon]

Today I smelled a perianal abscess that had fistulized into the rectum. Good god.

After a lot of thinking, I decided this was officially the worst smell I’ve ever smelled, which is pretty remarkable when not spoken as hyperbole.

We debrieded the abscess in the OR as infected poo flew everywhere. Even with the AC vents cranked to the max there was no escape. We were all gagging and dry heaving. I left after case and showered in the locker room. Changed my scrubs. Drove home, left the new scrubs in my car, and snuck into my house in my underwear. Then sat in the shower for 20 minutes.

And now, sitting on my couch, as clean as I’ve ever been in my whole life, I can still smell the poo.

Anyone have a better terrible smell story?

It’s in your nose. No amount of showering can help

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

24 hours in and still going strong. My cats are scared of me and spent all night hiding under the couch.

 

[Catalystik]

Anyone have a better terrible smell story?

Retained tampon that's marinated in place for a week or two before help is sought.

 

[MedScat]

PSYCH IT IS, I GUESS

 

[PhillyMed777]

The truly worst thing I've ever smelled....pyoderma gangrenosum

 

[deleted87051]

I am fortunate enough to work at a butt pus center of excellence.

 

[Psai]

Looking back, opening this thread around dinner time was an awful idea

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Took a Fourneir Gangrene to the OR and that was rough. Trich Vaginalis, in outpatients smells like fried ass and empanadas.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Retained tampon that's marinated in place for a week or two before help is sought.

Omg, we have prison med rotation and we had inmates who stuck weed, lipstick, five dollar bills etc.

 

[Catalystik]

Omg, we have prison med rotation and we had inmates who stuck weed, lipstick, five dollar bills etc.

I have not had an experience of any of those creative options and their potential to generate smelly smells. What think you, comparatively speaking?

 

[mistafab]

My question for ya’ll is this - why is it that with those really bad smelly smell cases you keep smelling it randomly for HOURS.

I never get to randomly whiff steak after eating some 10 hours later... whyyyyyyyy

Worst is when you catch the whiff right before you are about to take your first bite of food.

 

[Smurfette]

Fournier's gangrene.
Wet gangrene.
Dead bowel.
Multiple day old bowel perf.
High percentage burn victims (or those with 4th degree burns). Worst was a patient so burned we couldn't tell if male or female. I swear it was at least a full week before I wasn't smelling that dead scorched flesh smell everywhere I went.

 

[Medic741]

Cool ranch Doritos smell exactly like a bone saw IMO

 

[MSTP18]

Vicks Vaporub, my dude. Rub it inside your mask before you walk in the room and don't take the mask off til you're out.

I actually find Vick’s vaporub in my mask to be more offensive than everything mentioned so far.

 

[MSTP18]

PSYCH IT IS, I GUESS

Until your patient “defecates aggressively towards staff” as one gem of a note said.

 

[DexterMorganSK]

[QUOTE="
Anyone have a better terrible smell story?[/QUOTE]

Two days old chinese food left on dinning table!

 

[sinombre]

I put benzoin on my mask. It honestly works really well.

 

[ciestar]

I actually find Vick’s vaporub in my mask to be more offensive than everything mentioned so far.

I break out in a rash with Vick’s. I would rather have the option lol

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

High percentage burn victims (or those with 4th degree burns). Worst was a patient so burned we couldn't tell if male or female. I swear it was at least a full week before I wasn't smelling that dead scorched flesh smell everywhere I went.

Now I think that takes the cake for most horrendous.

 

[alprazoslam]

Sex panther still beats all of the above go home newbs

 

[colbgw02]

my submission: pus mixed with urine (pyonephrosis)

 

[Man o War]

All of the above is why I’m so skinny. All these yummy OR smells kind of kill the appetite.

 

[Man o War]

A surgeon from way back in my residency used to take a huge whiff of whatever the offensive smell was and yell “ahhhh the smell of money”.
That guy was hardcore. The rest of us could be barfing from the nasal assault and he carried on as if it was the smell of fresh baked cookies. Never seen anything like it since.

 

[evilbooyaa]

PSYCH IT IS, I GUESS

Yeah but who do you think is most likely to stick something where it shouldn't be?

 

[Medic741]

A surgeon from way back in my residency used to take a huge whiff of whatever the offensive smell was and yell “ahhhh the smell of money”.
That guy was hardcore. The rest of us could be barfing from the nasal assault and he carried on as if it was the smell of fresh baked cookies. Never seen anything like it since.

That is fantastic

 

[dpmd]

When I worked in a path lab we would sometimes get toxic megacolons. I’ve smelled diabetic feet, rectal abscesses, bloody vomit and stools and c diff. Toxic megacolon is it’s own horrid thing.

You get all the horror of cdiff poop combined with the smell of dying bowel (and maybe some blood mixed in) seems about right.

 

[dpmd]

I put benzoin on my mask. It honestly works really well.

If you have adhesive remover it smells like rose and does ok with the lesser odors. For gangrene and c diff you need something more potent like contraband mask spray (because for some reason the folks that decided to ban its use on anesthesia masks didn't leave us the option to use it on ourselves and no one stocks oil of wintergreen anymore).

 

[dpmd]

My question for ya’ll is this - why is it that with those really bad smelly smell cases you keep smelling it randomly for HOURS.

I never get to randomly whiff steak after eating some 10 hours later... whyyyyyyyy

Worst is when you catch the whiff right before you are about to take your first bite of food.

Because the odor particles are still on you. I wash any part of my body that had contact (usually more than once), wash my face and nose, then find some highly scented lotion to apply. The last step is key. Don't think it is the lotion itself since the regular stuff they stock in the hospital doesn't really do the trick. Maybe the oils used to scent the kind of lotions that leave a residual scent on you for hours is what does it (in which case I guess crushing up an altoids into hospital lotion might help)? Don't know. I just know that after those kind of cases I try to find someone who is willing to share their bath and body works or similar style lotion with me and then no more smell even later when I wash that lotion off.

 

[3IDMedic]

Since we are all huge fans of C-diff and the smell of it, let me tell you a funny story.

I was working at a VA hospital in Madison, WI years ago and left a stool sample on the nurses station. It was liquid and looked like Campbell's beef & barley soup. After about ten minutes, I heard yelling. No... screaming! It sounded horrific, and reminded me of combat in Baghdad.

The old screwed-shut plastic cup exploded, covering the nurses station (computers, charts, a crockpot full of chili and a whole pizza) and several nurses with C-diff poo. They were so pissed off. I bet it still stinks over 15 years later.

 

[Man o War]

Since we are all huge fans of C-diff and the smell of it, let me tell you a funny story.

I was working at a VA hospital in Madison, WI years ago and left a stool sample on the nurses station. It was liquid and looked like Campbell's beef & barley soup. After about ten minutes, I heard yelling. No... screaming! It sounded horrific, and reminded me of combat in Baghdad.

The old screwed-shut plastic cup exploded, covering the nurses station (computers, charts, a crockpot full of chili and a whole pizza) and several nurses with C-diff poo. They were so pissed off. I bet it still stinks over 15 years later.

And where exactly can I get these exploding cups? Asking for a friend of course.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

This gem of mine. Diabetic from way out in the sticks. I didn’t need to know what ER room the consult was in... I followed the smell and the sound of nurses gagging in the hallway.

It had been rotting for weeks. Family were like, “we thought it was gonna get better with time.” *facepalm*


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[AsianPersuasion]

View attachment 242999

This gem of mine. Diabetic from way out in the sticks. I didn’t need to know what ER room the consult was in... I followed the smell and the sound of nurses gagging in the hallway.

It had been rotting for weeks. Family were like, “we thought it was gonna get better with time.” *facepalm*


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

So sad but at the same time, oh helll nawwww

 

[Psai]

View attachment 242999

This gem of mine. Diabetic from way out in the sticks. I didn’t need to know what ER room the consult was in... I followed the smell and the sound of nurses gagging in the hallway.

It had been rotting for weeks. Family were like, “we thought it was gonna get better with time.” *facepalm*


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

It doesn't look like it'd smell good even if it wasn't black and dead